Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Definition: Set Back |
Set BackNoun1. Structure where a wall or building narrows abruptly. Verb1. Hold back to a later time; "let's postpone the exam". 2. Slow down the progress of; hinder; "His late start set him back". 3. Cost a certain amount; "My daughter's wedding set me back $20,000". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Synonyms: Set BackSynonyms: offset (n), setoff (n), defer (v), hold over (v), knock back (v), postpone (v), put back (v), put off (v), put over (v), remit (v), shelve (v), table (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Deterioration | Deteriorate; weaken; put back, set back; taint, infect, contaminate, poison, empoison, envenom, canker, corrupt, exulcerate, pollute, vitiate, inquinate; debase, embase; denaturalize, denature, leaven; deflower, debauch, defile, deprave, degrade; ulcerate; stain; (dirt); discolor; alloy, adulterate, sophisticate, tamper with, prejudice. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Set Back |
| English words defined with "set back": harmonica, harp ♦ mouth harp, mouth organ ♦ niche ♦ recess. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Extreme set back. (NewsRadio; writing credit: Scott Bank; Jenny Banks) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | Like most industries, the Korean environmental market demand experienced a set back in 1998--a 40% reduction in environmentally related imports. (references) | |
Business suffered a set back with the Asian financial crisis, which struck Thailand in mid-1997, but as recovery emerges and the economy comes back on line, the potential is returning. (references) | ||
Economic History | Togo | The democratic process was set back in October 1992, when elements of the army held the interim legislature hostage for 24 hours. (references) |
Kenya | The agricultural sector, which is the country's mainstay, has been set back by problems associated with poor infrastructure, poor world commodity prices, poor management of the sector and bad weather. (references) | |
Pakistan | The decision by India to conduct nuclear tests in May 1998 and Pakistan's matching response set back U.S. relations in the region, which had seen renewed U.S. Government interest during the second Clinton Administration. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
Expression using "set back": be set back. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
set back thermostat | 3 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "set back"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | pengoj (arrest, baffle, balk, baulk, block, clog, cross, cumber, delay, detain, embarrass, encumber, estop, foil, forbid, frustrate, get in the way, hamper, handicap, hedge in, hinder, hobble, impede, inhibit, interfere, interfere with, interrupt, jam, keep away from, let, obstruct, occlude, oppose, preclude, prevent, prohibit, resist, shut in, stumble, trammel, traverse, trouble), frenoj (apply the brakes, be an obstacle to, bit, brake, check, choke up, clog, contain, control, Cork, damp, delay, detain, deter, fetter, guard, hamper, hang up, hedge in, hold, hold back, hold in, inhibit, interrupt, keep in, put back, rein, retard, stay put, stem, stop). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | كلف (cost, freckle), وضع (accentuate, affix, apply, bestow, bin, clap, conjuncture, dab, design, do, emplacement, estate, frame, install, job, lay, lay down, lay out, manner, outline, perch, place, placement, plant, posit, position, positioning, posture, put, put down, put up, rank, return, set, situation, status, stick down, stuff, tuck, utter, writing), تعقب (carry, chase, dog, follow, hound, keep track of, pursue, tail), عاق (baffle, balk, block, cramp, delay, derange, detain, deter, dirty, discourage, disloyal, disturb, embarrass, encumber, estop, handicap, hinder, hobble, hurt, impede, impious, interrupt, penalize, preclude, prevent, retard, shackle, stifle, thankless, thwart, tie up, trammel, trap, undutiful, ungrateful, unthankful), أخر (delay, detain, intercept, postpone, protract, put back, retard, wait). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | струвам (be, cost, stand in), спъвам (beset, clog, cramp, embarrass, entangle, fetter, hinder, hobble, impede, interfere, preclude, prevent, prohibit, retard, shackle, short circuit, snag, snub, tie, trammel, trig), връщам назад (put back, throw back), забавям (arrest, cool, defer, delay, detain, hang up, hold back, hold off, hold over, inhibit, postpone, put back, put over, retard, sidetrack, slacken, slow, slow down, stave off, steady), построявам назад. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | zvrátit (disgorge, overrule, overturn, reverse, upset), překazit (baffle, confound, queer, thwart, upset), odstrèit (push aside, push away, push forward, put aside, set aside), nezdar (failure, knock, miscarriage, reversal, setback). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | trykke en togstamme tilbage (to push back a set of wagons, to set back a set of wagons). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | wagengroep terugzetten (to push back a set of wagons, to set back a set of wagons), een treindeel terugzetten (to push back a set of wagons, to set back a set of wagons). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | taannuttaa (impede, keep back). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | retarder, remettre, entraver, coûter. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | schlappe (defeat, hammering, nervelessly, rout, walloping), zurückwerfen (echo, put back, reflect, repel, repulse, return, reverberate, throw back, throwback, to reflect, to set back, toss back), zurücksetzen (back, back off, backspace, mark down, move back, neglect, put back, reduce, replace, replacement, return, reverse, to relocate, to remove), verzögern (adjourn, defer, delay, hinder, hold back, hold in abeyance, lag, postpone, retard, slow down, to defer, to delay, to retard), kosten (charge, charges, cost, costs, expenditure, expense, expenses, fees, outlay, sample, savor, savour, take, taste, to cost, to cost (cost), behindern (bar, bother, clog, cramp, disturb, encumber, hamper, handicap, hedge about, hedge around, hedge in, hedge round, hinder, impede, inhibit, keep back, obstruct, prevent, thwart, to spoil, trouble). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | αναβάλλω (adjourn, call off, cancel, defer, delay, hold over, postpone, procrastinate, prorogue, put off, respite, stall, stay). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | לעקוב (follow, keep track of, tag, trace, track). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | visszaesés (backsliding, drop, fallback, letdown, palindromia, recidivation, recidivism, recurrence, relapse, retrogression, throw back), hanyatlás (decadence, decadency, decay, declension, decline, depression, deterioration, downgrade, downtrend, droop, drop, ebb, fall-off, retrogression, set-back), hátratol, hátrahúz (to set back). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | mengakhirkan (place last). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | ritardare (be late, defer, delay, lag, lose, obstruct, pocket, put off, retard, stay, wait), mettere indietro, distare (be ... away, be distant), costare (be expensive, cost, expenditure, expenses, fee, savour, taste). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | soie er ash. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | etsay ackbay retroceder (fall back, flinch, recede, regress, retreat, retrograde, retrogress, revert, run back, shrink, subside), impedir (arrest, avert, balk, block, clash, clog, cramp, cumber, dam, debar, delay, detain, embarrass, estop, fetter, forbid, foreclose, hamper, hinder, hobble, impede, intercept, interfere, let, oppose, preclude, prevent, prohibit, put a stop, resist, restrain, shackle, stop, thwart, trammel, withhold). (various references) regret (regret, sorry), recidivã (recurrence), rãcilã, piedicã (balk, bar, brake, check, clog, cumber, delay, difficulty, drag, drawback, embargo, encumbrance, fetter, hindrance, hitch, hold back, impediment, interference, jog, lock, marplot, objection, obstacle, obstruction, pull back, sear, sprag, stay, stop, stopper, stopple, stumbling-bloc, trammel, traverse, trigger), loviturã (attack, bang, bat, beat, beating, blow, box, bump, burglary, butt, calamity, cant, clap, clip, coup, cuff, dash, drive, fib, flap, go, heading, hit, hunch, hurt, jab, jolt, kick, knock, lick, master stroke, pelt, push, round, shack, shock, shot, slash, sling, smack, smash, stab, stick, strike, stroke, sweep, thrust), eşec (abortion, check, defeat, discomfiture, fail, failing, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, lame duck, miscarriage, naught, rebuff, repulsion, wash out), decepţie (balk, disappointment, sell). (various references) воспрепятствовать, остановить (pull up), задержка (backoff, backset, back-set, check, delay, detention, foot-dragging, hitch, holdback, holdup, impediment, lag, lagging, lateness, retardation, retardment, setback, suppression, throwback, time-delay, time-lag). (various references) smetnja (cumber, disturbance, drawback, encumbrance, handicap, hindrance, impediment, jam up, nuisance, perturbation, setback), prepreka (ado, balk, bar, barrage, barrier, baulk, difficulty, drag, drawback, hang up, hindrance, holdback, hurdle, impeachment, impediment, liability, obstacle, obstruction, setback, snag, static, trammel, traverse). (various references) retrasar (back up, check, delay, hold up, pull back, put back, retard, sojourn, take back, turn back), hacer retroceder (push back, turn back), detener (arrest, capture, detain, get, halt, hinder, hold up, keep, pick up, pull, pull in, secure, seize, stay, stop, take), costar (charge, cost, knock back), atrasar (hold up, put back, slow down). (various references) ställa tillbaka (return), kosta (cost), fördröja (delay, detain, retard, slow down, stall). (various references) patlamak (blow, blow out, blow up, break, burst, crack, detonate, erupt, explode, fulminate, go off, go pop, go up, knock back, let fly, plonk, plunk, pop, puncture, snap, spring), mal olmak (be, cost, knock back), içeri almak (admit, let in, pass in, pass into, take in, take into), geriye almak (put back), geride bırakmak (distance, have the drop on, leave astern, leave behind, outdistance, outpace, outstrip, shoot ahead of, walk away), geri bırakmak, geri almak (claw back, declare off, draw back, recall, recapture, resume, retake, retract, retrieve, revoke, swallow, take back, turn back, withdraw), geri çekilmek (beat a retreat, blench, disengage, fall back, recede, recoil, regress, retire, retract, retreat, shrink back, stand back, step back, withdraw), geciktirmek (adjourn, delay, hold up, impede, keep back, postpone, procrastinate, put back, retard, sidetrack, stall, stall off, stave off). (various references) класти на місце, повернути назад, перешкоджати (baffle, balk, bar, barrier in, baulk, block, check, clog, counteract, cumber, debar, discourage, forbid, handicap, impede, inhibit, militate, prevent, tie up, trammel). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: backset, setback. | |
| Words within the letters "a-b-c-e-k-s-t" | |
-1 letter: basket, casket. | |
-2 letters: abets, backs, bakes, baste, bates, beaks, beast, beats, becks, betas, cakes, caste, cates, cesta, skate, stack, stake, steak, tabes, taces, tacks, takes, teaks. | |
-3 letters: abet, aces, acts, ates, back, bake, base, bask, bast, bate, bats, beak, beat, beck, best, beta, bets, cabs, cake, case, cask, cast, cate, cats, east, eats. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-b-c-e-k-s-t" | |
+1 letter: backrest, backseat, backsets, blackest, brackets, setbacks, tiebacks, wetbacks. | |
+2 letters: backbeats, backbites, backdates, backrests, backseats, backstage, backswept, stackable. | |
+3 letters: backbiters, backlisted, backstreet, backstroke, backwaters, breadstick, buckwheats, waterbucks. | |
+4 letters: backscatter, backstabbed, backstabber, backstopped, backstreets, backstretch, backstrokes, blackhearts, blacklisted, blacklister, blackwaters, bluejackets, breadsticks, picketboats, stickleback, turtlebacks. | |
+5 letters: backscatters, backstabbers, backstitched, backstitches, bankruptcies, blacklisters, cabinetworks, leatherbacks, quarterbacks, sticklebacks, switchbacked. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Quotations: Non-fiction 7. Expressions 8. Expressions: Internet | 9. Translations: Modern 10. Anagrams 11. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.