set back
phrasal verb·2 senses·particle back
Meanings
Delay or hinder progress
Why “back”? Back creates distance or reduces progress. The change can affect a place, position, amount, promise, or plan.
“The illness set him back months.”
“The broken lift set the work back.”
Cost someone a particular amount of money
“That phone set me back a fortune.”
“The repair set us back £300.”
Don't confuse with
Set back means delay or hinder progress. Set off means begin a journey.
Test yourself
“The illness set him back months.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
set off
A contrast learners often mix up
Begin a journey
cut back
Same back pattern: distance
Reduce sharply, especially expenditure; Reduce the amount of something, especially spending
die back
Same back pattern: distance
(of a plant) lose leaves and branches above ground while the roots survive
draw back
Same back pattern: distance
Move yourself away in hesitation
drive back
Same back pattern: distance
Force an attacker to retreat
drop back
Same back pattern: distance
Move to a position further behind
edge back
Same back pattern: distance
Move backward in small cautious steps
fall back
Same back pattern: distance
Move backwards quickly, often in retreat; Use something as a backup when other options fail; Move into a position behind others
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “set back”.
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