SETTING BACK Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

setting back

verb

present participle of set back

as in holding back

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting back

Verb

Jessica held tightly onto the straps of her backpack, holding back her emotions.

— Norma Galeana, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Disney and others went through periods of holding back shows to bolster their SVODs.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of holding back

Verb

Revenue may be holding up even as calendar productivity softens, creating an important trade-off for buyers to consider.

— Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Consumers are also doing their part, holding up better against higher fuel prices and higher tariffs than many forecast.

— Evan Clark, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of holding up

Verb

The daughter, Shannon Amos, faults her brother, Kelly Christopher Amos, for delaying medical care while isolating the actor from his family and friends in the years leading up to his death.

— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
More and more parents are delaying vaccines and citing logistics, outsourcing the decision to the parent who isn’t in the room or simply wanting more time.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

Netflix is obviously against the ropes again, after slowing user engagement on the service rattled Wall Street investors and layoffs came this week as a sacrifice to the share price.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Consumers are already holding on to phones for longer, and global smartphone growth is slowing.

— MacKenzie Sigalos,Kif Leswing, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of slowing

Verb

The country's telecom and internet service market is dominated by Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani's Jio and Sunil Mittal's Airtel, with both companies together holding over 80% market share.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
There are more than 300 such foundations across the country, holding over $40 billion in assets, according to Grantmakers In Health (paywall).

— Laura MacDonald, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of holding over

Verb

Clampdown Over the weekend, Indian security forces reportedly clamped down on protests in the capital city, detaining young people, several opposition party politicians, YouTubers, lawyers and a few journalists.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Following Saturday's protests, authorities launched a sweeping security crackdown in the capital, detaining more than 2,000 protesters, including several opposition lawmakers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of detaining

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setting at

setting back

setting by

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“Setting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20back. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of setting back

verb

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