When someone makes a comeback, they return to success or prominence after a setback, defeat, or period away. A tennis player who loses the first set badly but fights back to win the match makes an impressive comeback. A musician who stopped performing for years and then releases a hit album stages a comeback.

Comebacks require persistence and resilience. After trailing by ten points at halftime, a basketball team needs determination and skill to mount a comeback in the second half. The word captures something admirable: the refusal to give up when things look bleak.

A comeback can also be a clever, quick reply to an insult or criticism. If someone teases you about striking out in baseball, and you remind them that you hit the game-winning double last week, that's a good comeback. The best comebacks are witty but not mean. They show you can think quickly under pressure.

Sometimes people think of the perfect comeback hours after they needed it, which is frustrating but happens to everyone. Whether you're talking about returning to victory or crafting the perfect response, a comeback means bouncing back after a setback.