delay vs set back

delay

verb
  • To put off until a later time; to defer. 

  • To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time. 

noun
  • A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity. 

  • An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay. 

  • Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”) 

  • An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment. 

set back

verb
  • To delay or obstruct. 

  • To remove from or allow distance. 

  • To install or position behind a boundary or surface, or in a recess. 

  • To cost money. 

  • To reverse, go backwards. 

How often have the words delay and set back occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )