comeback

1 of 2

noun

come·​back ˈkəm-ˌbak 

1

a

: a sharp or witty reply : retort

b

: a cause for complaint

2

: a return to a former position or condition (as of success or prosperity) : recovery, revival

… staging his ultimate comeback from self-imposed exile in Belgium.

—Howard Mandel

These days, the cocktail—the true cocktail—is said to be making a comeback.

—Frank H. Prial

come back

2 of 2

verb

came back; come back; coming back; comes back

intransitive verb

1

: to return to life or vitality

2

: to return to memory

it's all coming back to me now

3

: reply, retort

when questioned, he came back with a vehement denial

4

a

: to regain a former favorable condition or position

b

: to recover from a deficit in a contest or competition

… it was the first time in NHL history that a team was down by three goals inside the final five minutes and came back to win a game.

—Mike Harrington

Synonyms

Noun

• repartee
• retort
• riposte

Verb

• convalesce
• gain
• heal
• mend
• pull round [chiefly British]
• rally
• recoup
• recover
• recuperate
• snap back

Examples of comeback in a Sentence

Noun

The species was nearly extinct but is now making a comeback.

Short skirts were out of fashion for many years, but now they're making a comeback.

The team was trailing after the first half, but they made a comeback and won in the second half.

The team mounted a comeback in the second half of the season.

Verb

she's slowly coming back after being in a coma

the American bald eagle was once nearly extinct but has come back strong

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Toffoli scored a power-play goal at the 12:05 mark of the second period off an assist to start the comeback. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024

Does the struggling Lionsgate have enough in the tank to power her Oscar comeback? —Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2024

Verb

For hundreds of yachts that make the annual pilgrimage, not having to cross the Atlantic from the Med and come back again for the summer will be a welcome change. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024

When Wiley returns a few minutes later with a tissue, his indignation has come back, too. —Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

comeback

noun

come·​back ˈkəm-ˌbak 

1

: retort entry 2

2

: a return to a former position or condition (as of health, power, popularity, or prosperity) : recovery