come back

come back idiom
  1. Return to or regain past success or popularity, as in It's hard to come back from two sets down and win the match, or Long hemlines are coming back this fall. [Early 1900s]
  2. Return to one's mind, as in Her name came back to me after I saw her picture. [Late 1800s]
  3. Retort or reply; also, retaliate. For example, No matter how many insults he flings, I can always come back with another. [Late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.
Related Discussions (1)
TopicRepliesLatest Post
Come back, James, all is forgiven276 years ago

Browse Forums