setback

[ set-bak ]

noun

1. a check to progress; a reverse or defeat:

   The new law was a setback.

2. Architecture. a recession of the upper part of a building from the building line, as to lighten the structure or to permit a desired amount of light and air to reach ground level at the foot of the building.
3. an act or instance of setting back:

   A nightly setback of your home thermostats can save a great deal of fuel.

4. Also a downward temperature adjustment of a thermostat, especially performed automatically, as by a timer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of setback¹

First recorded in 1665–75; noun use of verb phrase set back

Example Sentences

Wood didn’t play after the All-Star break last season because of a knee injury, had surgery this summer on the knee again, and in his slow ramp-up to play, suffered a setback.

From Los Angeles Times

It is understood there is no cause for alarm - and her plans are being adjusted to avoid any setback after recovering from a bug.

From BBC

Shell said it was pleased with the court's decision, but Friends of the Earth Netherlands said the ruling was a setback that affected them deeply.

From BBC

“The eurozone crisis was a real setback and that wasn't something I had predicted,” Cameron says.

From BBC

But if that effort fell short on a secret ballot, he’d suffer an embarrassing setback to his stature just when it’s at a new peak.

From Slate

Related Words

• blow
• defeat
• delay
• difficulty
• hindrance
• impediment
• misfortune
• obstacle
• reversal
• set-back
• slowdown
• stumbling block
• trouble