comeback

American  

[kuhm-bak] / ˈkʌmˌbæk /

noun

• comebacks
  plural

1. a return to a former higher rank, popularity, position, prosperity, etc..

   The ex-champion kept trying to make a comeback.

2. a clever or effective retort; rejoinder; riposte.

   That was a great comeback the comedian made to the hecklers.

3. 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.

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comeback British  

/ ˈkʌmˌbæk /

noun

1. a return to a former position, status, etc

2. a return or response, esp recriminatory

3. a quick reply; retort

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verb

1. to return

2. to become fashionable again

3. to reply after a period of consideration

   I'll come back to you on that next week

4. to argue back; retort

5. (of something forgotten) to return to someone's memory

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• comebacks
  plural

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!”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

comeback comebacks

Instead, Ted’s emphasis on personal growth and camaraderie rebuilds the Greyhounds from their league’s demoralized joke into its comeback kings, powered by their yearning to Believe.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

It’s been hard to tell what kind of comeback Williams is pursuing—if this is a quick resurfacing to play with Venus, or if she intends to fully recommit to the tour.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Fellow Filipino and former boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao, wrote on social media that her comeback showed the "heart of a Filipino" before calling her "our new champion".

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

It had been five years since she played competitive baseball, and at age 24, she wasn’t sure if a comeback was in the cards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026

Max says that the reverend was a storefront preacher who played the Panhandle years ago and is attempting a comeback.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

The injury was aggravated during several attempted comebacks, before Fontaine was forced to call time on his career in 1962.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Australia won to go 2-0 up and while England, invigorated by the recalled Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, threatened the most spectacular of comebacks, it was not to be.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

And in every single victory over the Spurs, the Knicks trailed by double-digits—the most comebacks of at least 10 points in the championship round since at least 2001, according to Stats Perform.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

This was one of the most historic, thrilling comebacks in sports I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026

“There are no comebacks or do-overs. You may wish they could come back, but it’s important that you understand they can’t, and they won’t.”

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Related Words

• improvement
• rebound
• resurgence
• return
• revival
• victory
• winning