on the rebound

Idioms  

1. Reacting to or recovering from an unhappy experience, especially the end of a love affair. For example, A month after breaking up with Larry, Jane got engaged to Bob, a classic case of being on the rebound. This metaphoric term, alluding to the bouncing back of a ball, has been used in the present sense since the mid-1800s, although rebound alone had been used figuratively for much longer.

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Example Sentences

Slovakia midfielder Lobotka smashed home on the rebound in the seventh minute in Naples, breaking a scoring duck which stretched back to the opening day of Napoli's triumphant 2022/23 season.

From Barron's • Jan. 17, 2026

They might focus on companies that seem to be on the rebound or whose executives expect to achieve operating improvements next year.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

After turning the tie around, United conceded a second with virtually the last kick before the final whistle when Onana spilled Georges Mikautadze's shot and Rayan Cherki tapped in on the rebound.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2025

Right before halftime, Banda got around the Courage defense again and had her shot pushed away by Murphy, but Julie Doyle pounced on the rebound for a 3-0 halftime lead.

From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024

Now, on the rebound from my calamitous entanglement with the nordwand, I was prepared to lower my sights.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer