setback
setback Lexical Profile
setback Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A reversal or check in progress; an unexpected obstacle or delay.
"The research team experienced a temporary setback when their primary equipment malfunctioned."
A step-like recession in the profile of a wall or high-rise building, or the required minimum distance by which a building must be recessed from a street, property line, or body of water.
"Local zoning regulations require a twenty-foot setback from the front property line for all new residential construction."
Word Nuance & Usage
The closed compound "setback" is a noun meaning an obstacle or reversal, whereas the two-word phrasal verb "set back" is used for the action of delaying or costing someone (e.g., "The repairs set us back a week").
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 16th century as a nominalization of the phrasal verb "set back," combining Old English "settan" (to cause to sit or place) and "bæc" (back).