Breakthrough and Setback

Opposite meaning words

Breakthrough

Breakthrough noun - An instance of notable progress in the development of knowledge, technology, or skill.

Usage example: Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin was one of medicine's great breakthroughs, for penicillin became the first antibiotic to successfully combat bacterial infections in humans

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Synonyms for Breakthrough

Antonyms for Breakthrough

Setback is an antonym for breakthrough.

Setback

Setback noun - A change in status for the worse usually temporarily.

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Synonyms for Setback

Antonyms for Setback

Breakthrough is an antonym for setback.

How words are described

true	true breakthrough	true setback
critical	critical breakthrough	critical setback
massive	massive breakthrough	massive setback
large	large breakthrough	large setback
Other adjectives: big, great, huge, new, major, final, minor, significant, latest, recent, commercial, strategic, bigger.

Cite this Source

Setback and Breakthrough. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/breakthrough/setback

Breakthrough & Setback. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/breakthrough/setback>.

Setback or Breakthrough. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/breakthrough/setback.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "breakthrough" and "setback" have occurred on timeline