rebound
Americanverb (used without object)
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to bound or spring back from force of impact.
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to recover, as from ill health or discouragement.
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Basketball. to gain hold of rebounds.
a forward who rebounds well off the offensive board.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to bound back; cast back.
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Basketball. to gain hold of (a rebound).
The guard rebounded the ball in backcourt.
noun
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the act of rebounding; recoil.
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Basketball.
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a ball that bounces off the backboard or the rim of the basket.
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an instance of gaining hold of such a ball.
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Ice Hockey. a puck that bounces off the gear or person of a goalkeeper attempting to make a save.
idioms
verb
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to spring back, as from a sudden impact
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to misfire, esp so as to hurt the perpetrator
the plan rebounded
noun
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the act or an instance of rebounding
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in the act of springing back
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informal in a state of recovering from rejection, disappointment, etc
he married her on the rebound from an unhappy love affair
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Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reboundsimple
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reboundssimple
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have reboundedperfect
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has reboundedperfect
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am reboundingprogressive
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are reboundingprogressive
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is reboundingprogressive
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have been reboundingperfect progressive
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has been reboundingperfect progressive
Past
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reboundedsimple
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had reboundedperfect
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was reboundingprogressive
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were reboundingprogressive
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had been reboundingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rebound
1300–50; Middle English (v.) < Middle French rebondir, equivalent to Old French re- re- + bondir to bound 2
Explanation
To rebound is to come back from a slump. You might rebound from an illness, or your country might rebound from an economic recession. Like many words that start with the prefix re, rebound involves something happening again. In this case, to rebound is to bounce back to a previous state or condition. When you start to feel happy again after your heart gets broken, you rebound. If the stock market crashes and then returns to a healthy level, it rebounds.
Vocabulary lists containing rebound
Defense, Dribble, and Dunk: Basketball Lingo
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Power Prefix: re-
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This Feb. 29: 15 Words for "Leap"
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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.
See Examples For:
“The current setup resembles early-to-mid 2021, when leadership shifted toward quality after an early-cycle rebound post-covid,” strategists at the investment bank led by Michael Wilson wrote in a note published Monday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Excluding the Middle East, revenue grew sequentially across all divisions, supported by higher offshore activity, a rebound in U.S. unconventionals and strong demand for production and recovery solutions,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In early trading, New York futures are up 0.05% to $4,052.40 a troy ounce, leaving prices on track for a modest weekly gain after a rebound earlier this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The results arrived as the film industry looks for signs of a rebound, amid concerns about the broader shift to streaming and an ongoing retrenchment in Hollywood following strikes and the pandemic.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The boys did not watch for the rebound.
From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson
James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season while adding to his list of NBA records, setting marks for games played, all-time wins and field goals made.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game for the Lakers last season and said he was considering retirement strongly when the campaign concluded.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Only four players in the entire NBA averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists last season—and James was one of them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season with the Lakers.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Erin hits shot after shot, pulls rebounds, get steals, and carries her team to a twenty-point lead by halftime.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
It rebounded in 2021 thanks to a Shuttered Venue Operator Grant of nearly $785,000 across two payments, which put it in the black.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
The so-called Magnificent Seven group of Big Tech names also rebounded from the first half of 2026.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Asian stocks mostly rebounded after days of losses on Tuesday led by technology shares, while oil prices eased slightly even as Iran said it had struck hit US military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
At the other three lakes, however, the populations had rebounded even though the fungus remained present in the environment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
Mother had dropped the blow-dryer and it had struck the floor, its roar now doubled as it rebounded off the exposed concrete.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Hamby has led the Sparks in scoring four times and led or tied for rebounding 16 times this season after signing a three-year, $3.5-million contract.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Shares are trading at around $37, rebounding slightly from last month, when the stock reached lows not seen since 2009.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
The Kospi, driven by chip makers, fell 10% on Tuesday amid a global tech selloff before rebounding over the next two days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
The price of the world’s largest crypto by market capitalization was rebounding slightly on Friday, though it remained below $60,000.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
The pod flew out from under Ron’s fingers and hit the greenhouse glass, rebounding onto the back of Professor Sprout’s head and knocking off her old, patched hat.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
