Comebacks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sharp retort or counterargument intended to address or defuse criticism; a revival in success or prominence after a period of decline; the act of regaining lost ground or status following adversity
2. A prompt and clever response to a remark ; a return to a previous level of achievement or popularity ; the process of overcoming difficulties to reach former strength or position
3. A sharp and often humorous rejoinder in a conversation ; regaining earlier prominence or winning status again ; making a recovery from a decline or failure

Etymology: "Comebacks" is simply the plural of "comeback", and the noun itself is a deverbal formation: it was built from the phrasal verb "come back" by turning the verb into a noun. That is the whole of the documented pathway, and it is a plain, transparent one. The verb "come back" is an ordinary English expression meaning to return, and the noun took that action and made it a thing: a return, a retort, or a recovery. The three senses in common use, the sharp reply, the revival of former standing, and the recovery from failure, all grow from the same idea of coming back to where one was before.

Synonyms: returns, rebounds, resurgences, revivals, recuperations

Antonyms: failures, setbacks