Synonyms of come back

come back 1 of 2

verb

1

as in to recover

to become healthy and strong again after illness or weakness

she's slowly coming back after being in a coma

Synonyms & Similar Words

• recover
• improve
• snap back
• heal
• come to
• pull round
• recuperate
• rally
• gain
• come around
• recoup
• come round
• convalesce
• mend
• survive
• revive
• pull through
• pick up
• cheer (up)
• recruit
• perk (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• come down
• collapse
• fail
• waste (away)
• decline
• weaken
• deteriorate
• fade
• sink
• worsen
• wilt
• ail
• degenerate
• wither
• sicken
• languish
• relapse
• regress

2

as in to bounce (back)

to regain a former or normal state

the American bald eagle was once nearly extinct but has come back strong

Synonyms & Similar Words

• recover
• bounce (back)
• rebound
• rally
• snap back
• make a comeback
• revive
• revitalize
• reanimate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fail
• decline
• worsen

3

as in to respond

to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction

he came back with another one of his smart remarks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• respond
• reply
• answer
• react
• return
• rejoin
• retort
• comment
• explain
• acknowledge
• communicate
• riposte
• correspond
• counter
• remark
• defend
• field
• refute
• deny
• rebut

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ask
• inquire
• question
• examine
• challenge
• pump
• interrogate
• survey
• grill
• query
• quiz
• cross-examine
• poll

comeback

2 of 2

noun

ˈkəm-ˌbak 

1

as in retort

a quick witty response

always ready with a comeback for every insult

Synonyms & Similar Words

• retort
• insult
• riposte
• repartee
• back talk
• squelch
• wisecrack
• zinger
• quip
• witticism
• cut
• sally
• crack
• put-down

2

as in response

something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question

regardless of the question posed by the prosecutor, the witness had a plausible comeback

Synonyms & Similar Words

• response
• answer
• reply
• return
• reaction
• retort
• rejoinder
• remark
• replication
• observation
• communication
• comment
• explanation
• feedback
• justification
• rebuttal
• back talk
• defense
• banter
• acknowledgment
• non sequitur
• plea
• refutation
• persiflage
• correspondence
• repartee

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• question
• inquiry
• query
• challenge
• charge
• interrogation
• quiz
• survey
• poll
• questionnaire
• grilling
• interrogatory
• cross-examination

3

as in rehabilitation

the process or period of gradually regaining one's health and strength

trying to make a comeback after a career-threatening injury

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rehabilitation
• recovery
• rehab
• healing
• recuperation
• convalescence
• revival
• rally
• mending
• snapback
• survival
• resuscitation

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• failing
• decline
• deterioration
• sinking
• degeneration
• fading
• weakening
• worsening
• regression
• relapse
• wilting
• languishing
• wasting (away)
• withering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of come back

Verb

Carolina is coming in off a bye week and Philly’s coming back after a brutal loss in London. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026

Further down the Pacific Coast Highway, at the Malibu Colony Plaza strip mall, a customer and a barista at the local Starbucks guessed at when the lights would come back on. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Noun

For Charly Barby, whose comeback storyline featured prominently in the docuseries, Rio held particular meaning. — Raymond Braun, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

The condor’s comeback illustrates several questions that governments and conservation organizations grapple with today, including which species get funded and who bears the costs. — David Ginsburg, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing come back

• make a comeback
• stage a comeback