1
as in retorts
a quick witty response
always ready with a comeback for every insult
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in responses
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of comebacks
Becerra, former Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, has staged one of the most surprising comebacks in recent state political history.
—
Marisa Lagos, NPR, 6 June 2026
The Raiders ultimately won 10-9 in eight innings, completing one of the most improbable comebacks in recent years.
—Molly Keshin, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Put simply, Boeing’s en route to one of the most dramatic, and quickest, comebacks on record for a formerly ailing corporate giant.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The comebacks have fallen short.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
The Atlanta Dream ran out of comebacks Wednesday night.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been right at the heart of those comebacks.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
For winning the contest, Tanner scored two tickets to Game 5 against Minnesota, landing great seats to one of the greatest comebacks in Avs history.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
Indy has produced too many improbable comebacks and too many late-race twists for that.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Marisa Lagos, NPR, 6 June 2026
The Raiders ultimately won 10-9 in eight innings, completing one of the most improbable comebacks in recent years.
—Molly Keshin, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Put simply, Boeing’s en route to one of the most dramatic, and quickest, comebacks on record for a formerly ailing corporate giant.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The comebacks have fallen short.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
The Atlanta Dream ran out of comebacks Wednesday night.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been right at the heart of those comebacks.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
For winning the contest, Tanner scored two tickets to Game 5 against Minnesota, landing great seats to one of the greatest comebacks in Avs history.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
Indy has produced too many improbable comebacks and too many late-race twists for that.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comebacks
Noun
-
LeBron James didn’t hold back from his retorts over his late-in-the-game elbow injury Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The hearing also lacked contentious partisan moments, but there were some sharp retorts.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Their responses provide information about your external impact.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The team says the approach marks a significant departure from conventional cyborg insect systems, creating a bio-hybrid framework that works alongside the insect’s natural responses rather than overriding them.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
All one has to do is read the replies to the teams to understand both of those are so.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Fast replies are not the same as fast progress.—
Gerald J. Leonard,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
His family went without answers for five decades — until genealogy advancements allowed investigators to crack the cold case by linking human remains found at a waste transfer station in Pima County to Sipfle's family, per KVOA and KOLD.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
-
The most painful part of the quarter-long dry spell was that Oklahoma City seemed to have all the answers during San Antonio’s explosive first half.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Stulberg recommends small rituals, like a deep breath or short phrase, to interrupt automatic emotional reactions and give yourself a chance to choose a better response.—
Elise Devlin,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
What follows is a 90-minute, unfiltered experience packed with laughs, raw reveals, audience participation, and real-time reactions to modern romance.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Comebacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comebacks. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
