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

Salah’s winner against Brighton The date was November 2 and, in one sweeping move that ended with a thumping finish from Salah, Liverpool completed a comeback against Brighton that solidified their title credentials. —Andy Jones, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

An explosive start gave way to an injury that sucked the wind out of the Grizzlies’ sails, allowing the Thunder to pull off a historic comeback. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Verb

The New York Times Critic Pick came back in 2023 as well as this most recent winter. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025

Now, side parts are coming back, spotted on those who once vowed never to revisit them—and looking amazing at that. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 2 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for comeback

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• paperback
• piggyback
• quarterback
• saddleback

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