set sth/sb back
— phrasal verb with set /set/ verb (present tense setting, past tense and past participle set)Definition
C1 to delay an event, process, or person: The opening of the new swimming pool has been set back by a few weeks. A war would inevitably set back the process of reform. → See also setbackDelaying and wasting time
(Definition of set sth/sb back from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Delaying and wasting time, but you might be interested in these topics from the Doing and achieving topic area:
- Abstaining and refraining
- Acting and acts
- Avoiding action
- Becoming better
- Cancelling and interrupting
- Competing and contending (non-sporting)
- Coping and not coping
- Describing the leading position
- Efficient and effective
- Expressions telling people to hurry up
- Failing and doing badly
- Failures
- Getting involved for one's own benefit or against others' will
- Hesitating
- Higher and lower points of achievement
- Hurrying and doing things quickly
- Making progress and advancing
- Making things better
- Performing a function
- Potential
- Reacting and responding
- Repeating an action
- Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling
- Success and achievements
- Successful (things or people)
- Surpassing in quality or number
- Taking part and getting involved
- Trying and making an effort
- Unsuccessful (people and things)
- Waiting
- Ways of achieving things
Browse the Dictionary
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set sth off phrasal verb (MAKE NOTICEABLE)
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set sth out phrasal verb (ARRANGEMENT)
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set sth out phrasal verb (DETAILS)
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set sth up phrasal verb
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set sth/sb apart phrasal verb
- set sth/sb back phrasal verb
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set sth/sb on fire idiom
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set sth/sb up phrasal verb
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set the agenda idiom
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set the scene idiom
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set the scene/stage idiom
Browse the Thesaurus
More Results for “set sth/sb back”
SMART Thesaurus
Synonyms and related words:
- ado noun
- be on ice idiom
- buy time idiom
- carry sth over phrasal verb
- dally verb
- dilly-dally verb
- get behind phrasal verb
- hang/hold fire idiom
- hold off phrasal verb (RAIN/STORM)
- hold on phrasal verb (WAIT)
- hold sb/sth back phrasal verb (STOP DEVELOPMENT)
- mothball verb
- pigeonhole verb
- procrastinate verb
- put sth back phrasal verb (DELAY)
- put sth off phrasal verb
- retard verb
- retardation noun
- stall verb (DELAY)
- wait verb
Topic:
Delaying and wasting time
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