on the rebound

Idioms

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.

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.

San Francisco is not only on the rebound, she is in love.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

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

Shesterkin also knocked down a try by Skjei with just over five minutes remaining, and then denied his attempt on the rebound.

From Seattle Times • May 7, 2024

He managed to grab it on the rebound before it hit the floor.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023