comeback

[kuhm-bak]

noun

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.

comeback

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of comeback¹

First recorded in 1815–25; noun use of verb phrase come back

Example Sentences

At no point did Anfield possess the air of belief that has carried Liverpool to so many comebacks.

Read more on BBC

U.S. stocks staged a furious comeback rally on Friday as investors once again swooped in to buy the dip ahead of the weekend.

Read more on MarketWatch

A position of strength in the first Ashes Test wasted by a horror collapse, resulting in an Australian comeback and an awful two-day defeat.

Read more on BBC

It helped some investors gain confidence that the company was mounting a comeback, Nathanson said, but the share price still languished this summer.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The delighted fans who queued for the Tube home singing Karma Police will be hoping everything is in its right place for a fully-fledged comeback.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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