come back
Idioms-
Return to or regain past success or popularity, as in It's hard to come back from two sets down and win the match , or Long hemlines are coming back this fall . [Early 1900s]
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Return to one's mind, as in Her name came back to me after I saw her picture . [Late 1800s]
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Retort or reply; also, retaliate. For example, No matter how many insults he flings, I can always come back with another . [Late 1800s]
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.
President Bill Clinton’s key political adviser, James Carville, once said that if he did believe in reincarnation he wouldn’t come back as a world or religious leader, or even a great Major League Baseball player.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Sometimes things come back around and suddenly make sense again.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
When the ban was finally lifted in early 2020, allowing Drexel to depart China, the pastor instructed his daughter not to come back until he, too, was allowed to leave.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
The irony, of course, is that when satire comes under attack by those in power, it tends to come back even stronger.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
They had a good supper and a good strong cup of coffee, and when the meal was over, Rose-Ivy told him to come back for dinner the next night too.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
