set back

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that Iran’s ability to build ballistic missiles and long-range drones had been set back by years, its naval mines mostly destroyed and its air forces “operationally irrelevant.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Even in winter, when clocks were set back, they remained one hour ahead of GMT, again to maximise usable daylight and support wartime productivity.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

The negative regulatory news has set back the company’s commercial ambitions and erased the stock’s earlier gains.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

In Los Angeles, he immediately confronted a school district in which many students had long struggled to achieve and were further set back, academically and emotionally, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

The blacktop underneath had buckled in the heat and then set back again.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy