setbackset‧back /ˈsetbæk/ ●○○ noun [countable] 
Examples
The December elections were a major setback for the party. The team’s hopes of playing in Europe suffered a setback last night.► see thesaurus at problem → set back at set1COLLOCATIONSverbssuffer a setback· The team suffered a serious setback when the goalkeeper went off injured.receive a setback· The islands’ economy had received a severe setback from the effects of hurricane Hugo.adjectivesa major setback· Losing our key player would be a major setback for the team.a big/serious/severe setback· This is a serious setback to the company.a minor setback (=not very bad)· It was only a minor setback.a temporary setback (=lasting only a short time)· Try not to be discouraged by temporary setbacks.an early/initial setback (=happening quite soon)· The policy has been successful, despite some early setbacks.a political/military/economic setback· The defeat represented a major political setback for the conservatives.
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Arafat has survived crises, setbacks, and challenges to his leadership.
- He had been depressed over a number of business setbacks.
- Judge Cook's ruling will be a major setback for civil rights activists.
- Manning suffered a setback in his battle against alcoholism.
- The court's decision was a major setback for Bradley.
- The decision is a legal setback for the steel company.
- The peace talks have suffered a series of setbacks.
- The two losses are a serious setback for the team's playoff hopes.
- But even so the oil-producing countries do not hold all the aces, and they still risk future setbacks.
- In the wake of this most recent setback, even 2 % now looks optimistic.
- Instead, the setback has served to dampen outbursts in other lands.
- Like any organization, we had our setbacks.
- Northern's biggest setback came with the loss of midfield maestro Deryck Fox with pulled stomach muscles.
- The setback reflects the deep distrust between the two sides.
- There were of course disappointments and setbacks.
THESAURUS► setback
Collocations a problem that stops you from making progress: · The space program suffered a major setback when the space shuttle, Discovery, exploded.
► snag informal a problem, especially one that you had not expected: · There’s a snag – I don’t have his number.
► hitch a small problem that delays or prevents something: · There have been a few last-minute hitches.
► trouble when something does not work in the way it should: · The plane developed engine trouble.
► hassle spoken a situation that is annoying because it causes problems: · Just trying to store all this stuff is a hassle.
Longman Language Activatora problem that stops you from making progress► setback something that happens which stops you making progress or which makes things worse than they were before: · Arafat has survived crises, setbacks, and challenges to his leadership.have/suffer a setback: · The peace talks have suffered a series of setbacks.setback for: · The court's decision was a major setback for Bradley.setback in: · Manning suffered a setback in his battle against alcoholism.serious/major/big setback: · The two losses are a serious setback for the team's playoff hopes.political/economic/legal etc setback: · The decision is a legal setback for the steel company.business/election etc setback: · He had been depressed over a number of business setbacks.
► hurdle a problem or difficulty that must be dealt with before you can do or achieve something else: · The main hurdle at present is getting the council's permission.legal/bureaucratic/political etc hurdle: · Women face a lot of legal hurdles trying to prove sexual harassment.· There are lots of bureaucratic hurdles to deal with when adopting a child.hurdle for: · Requiring school uniforms can be a financial hurdle for the poor.clear/pass a hurdle: · The bill has cleared all the hurdles before it and will soon become law.
► stumbling block a fact or situation that will make it very difficult for something to be achieved: · Negotiations with management broke off Tuesday, with wage proposals the stumbling block.stumbling block to: · Each side has accused the others of creating stumbling blocks to peace.stumbling block for: · Mortgage interest rates have fallen, but large down payments remain a stumbling block for house buyers.
► hindrance something that makes it very difficult for you to do what you are trying to do: · America's top golfers played well despite the hindrance of early morning mist.· I concentrated on my career, feeling that a family would be a hindrance.be a hindrance to: · The country's poor infrastructure is a major hindrance to importers.· The biggest hindrance to economic reform has been the lack of access to U.S. markets.without hindrance: · Travelers can move through the country without hindrance.more of a hindrance than a help (=causing more problems than there would be otherwise): · The girls wanted to set the table, but they were more of a hindrance than a help.
► obstacle a difficult problem that stops someone or something making progress or developing: · The deal should go through, but there are several legal obstacles to overcome first.· There are a number of obstacles in the way of a lasting peace settlement.obstacle to: · There's no reason why the fact of being a parent should be an obstacle to women's career progression.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs► suffer a setback
a problem that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they weresetback for· The team suffered a serious setback when the goalkeeper went off injured.
► receive a setback· The islands’ economy had received a severe setback from the effects of hurricane Hugo.
adjectives► a major setback· Losing our key player would be a major setback for the team.
► a big/serious/severe setback· This is a serious setback to the company.
► a minor setback (=not very bad)· It was only a minor setback.
► a temporary setback (=lasting only a short time)· Try not to be discouraged by temporary setbacks.
► an early/initial setback (=happening quite soon)· The policy has been successful, despite some early setbacks.
► a political/military/economic setback· The defeat represented a major political setback for the conservatives.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► suffer a setback· Her preparations for the Olympic Games suffered a setback when she injured her leg during training.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► early· Pallister recovered from early setbacks when he could so easily have drifted back into Northern League football.· Equities recovered from a sharp early setback yesterday.
► late· The order is the latest setback to the Seventies tennis idol.· The latest setback could scramble the shuttle's schedule in two ways.· It's the latest setback for Wright amid fears that he could be sidelined with a hernia.· Parts of the press and television, some still government-controlled, have been energetically making little of the latest setback.
► major· It represents a major setback for the Tories and raises the prospect of a hung Parliament with Labour the biggest party.· Debt and the destruction of war have brought major economic setbacks, aside from damage to social services and human suffering.· Sadly, Rose suffered a major setback one day, when she had a grand mal epileptic fit.· Without an efficient system and good professional advice, unforeseen problems can develop into major setbacks.· This is not to deny that there were not some major setbacks.· But Dayglobe's bid suffered a major setback last month when councillors rejected its planning application for the site.· Thus 1973 marks a major setback from which there has been still-incomplete recovery.· Meanwhile he says todays news has been a major setback in his own recovery.
► recent· In the wake of this most recent setback, even 2 % now looks optimistic.· Some of Britain's most prolific bidders may have lost some of their confidence after recent setbacks.
► serious· Nevertheless, the defeat of Ecgfrith was obviously a serious military setback for the northern Angles.· Hundreds of the aircraft are on order, but loss of the Northwest batch is a serious setback.· The verdict, after a three-week televised trial, was seen as a serious setback for the authorities.
► severe· But this is a severe setback, which may result in many local Green Parties folding.· His health, however, underwent a severe setback when Inspector Rose arrived.· Electoral magnates often experienced severe setbacks at the polls.· The Supreme Court decision, if it sticks, will be a severe setback to the commission's work.
► temporary· But it was a temporary setback that made him even more determined to achieve his boyhood dream.· Within a few years, that company suffered a serious, albeit temporary, setback when fire gutted much of the adjacent warehouse.
VERB► suffer· In these circumstances, the group's trading performance has suffered a setback.· Most people have suffered a number of setbacks in their lives.· As yet the only people to suffer from this setback are the investors.· And the minority contracting program is about to suffer another setback.· Mr Mori's two coalition partners also suffered a setback.· It was then that Kylie and Terry Blamey - now experienced legal hands - suffered a rare courtroom setback.· Villa suffered another setback when Parker went off injured to be replaced by Matthias Breitkreutz.· Again it was the auto industry that led the way in the early Fifties after suffering two costly setbacks.
The December elections were a major setback for the party. The team’s hopes of playing in Europe suffered a setback last night.► see thesaurus at problem → set back at set1COLLOCATIONSverbssuffer a setback· The team suffered a serious setback when the goalkeeper went off injured.receive a setback· The islands’ economy had received a severe setback from the effects of hurricane Hugo.adjectivesa major setback· Losing our key player would be a major setback for the team.a big/serious/severe setback· This is a serious setback to the company.a minor setback (=not very bad)· It was only a minor setback.a temporary setback (=lasting only a short time)· Try not to be discouraged by temporary setbacks.an early/initial setback (=happening quite soon)· The policy has been successful, despite some early setbacks.a political/military/economic setback· The defeat represented a major political setback for the conservatives.