set somebody/something back phrasal verb ( see also ↑ set )
1 . set somebody/something ↔ back to delay the progress or development of something, or delay someone from finishing something:
Environmental experts said the move would set back further research.
Illness had set me back a couple of weeks.
2 . informal to cost someone a lot of money
set somebody back $50/£100 etc
This jacket set me back over £1,000.