comeback
Americannoun
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a return to a former higher rank, popularity, position, prosperity, etc..
The ex-champion kept trying to make a comeback.
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a clever or effective retort; rejoinder; riposte.
That was a great comeback the comedian made to the hecklers.
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Informal. a basis or cause of complaint.
If you insist on buying these pointed shoes, you'll have no comeback when your toes start to hurt.
noun
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a return to a former position, status, etc
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a return or response, esp recriminatory
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a quick reply; retort
verb
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to return
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to become fashionable again
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to reply after a period of consideration
I'll come back to you on that next week
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to argue back; retort
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(of something forgotten) to return to someone's memory
Etymology
Origin of comeback
First recorded in 1815–25; noun use of verb phrase come back
Explanation
A comeback is a quick, witty reply. “Your mama” is a lame comeback but a popular one. It's also a return to prominence after a break, like an athlete who retires and then makes a comeback by returning to the sport. If someone insults you, and you say something back that turns the insult around, that's a comeback. Nice job. Another comeback is when someone — especially in entertainment or sports — comes back after being gone. If a popular singer leaves music for a few years and then returns with a hit song, that's a comeback. In the song “Mama Said Knock You Out,” LL Cool J starts by saying, “Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years!”
Vocabulary lists containing comeback
The Hate U Give
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Olympics Vocabulary for Champions
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All American Boys
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chili’s has become one of the industry’s most closely watched comeback stories.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
She made amends by hitting the first winner of her comeback with another volley to the delight of the crowd.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Serena Williams, who recently announced her return to professional tennis, has added another stop to her comeback tour: the Berlin Open.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Speaking to BBC Sport before his comeback in 2022, Eriksen said he had no concerns about playing with an ICD.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
‘The way it all happened she can sue my britches off. All she could get would be the house outside of the mortgage. But the way it happened we don’t have any comeback at all.’
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
