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

---

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

That’s part of the reason why the risk-on sentiment is beginning to spread to cryptocurrencies — an asset class known for its volatility — which has helped bitcoin’s comeback from the graveyard, Hackett said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

The comeback, Gov. Greg Abbott decreed, was the greatest home victory in more than 130 years of Longhorn football.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Even if the growers can make a comeback, it isn’t certain that there will be enough demand to sustain the business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Also, the Gallagher brothers, now both in their 50s, did not play three nights in a row throughout their comeback tour - making the prospect of Glastonbury seem even less likely.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

“I tried to think of a clever comeback like 'I’m sorry. Have we met?”

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

Over the course of an 11-win campaign, Williams started to live up to the hype as he engineered a string of stunning comebacks to reach the postseason.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Mehlman, 31, a former Ithaca College athlete whose own tennis journey was sidelined by injury, knows something about comebacks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 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

The list of triumphant comebacks after extended absences is brief.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

I come up with great comebacks to her the next morning, hunched over a bowl of cereal.

From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Related Words

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