Phrase guide

come back

verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To return to a place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To return to one's possession, especially of memories.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Suddenly it all came back to him, the tea, the petite madeleines, his mother.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To return to a relationship with a former romantic partner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To return to a former state, usually a desirable one; to become fashionable once more.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Many people counted him out, but he came back better than ever.
  • Paisley is coming back this year.
  • I'll come back to the harder questions after finishing the rest of the test.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To retort.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • He came back with one of his snide remarks.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

be restored

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her old vigor returned

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: return

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reappear, re-emerge

7

verb

Meaning 7

answer back

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: retort, repay, return, riposte, rejoin

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: answer, reply, respond

8

verb

Meaning 8

go back to something earlier

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This harks back to a previous remark of his

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hark back, return, recall

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: denote, refer

Narrower terms: recur, go back

9

verb

Meaning 9

even the score, in sports

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: catch up

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

79 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَادَ (ʕāda) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Arabic: رَجَعَ (rajaʕa) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Arabic: رِجِع (rijiʕ) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Armenian: վերադառնալ (veradaṙnal) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Cebuano: balik — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Cherokee: ᎢᎦᎷᎦ (igaluga) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Chinese Mandarin: 回來 /回来 (huílai) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Chinese Mandarin: 返回 (fǎnhuí) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Czech: vrátit se — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Dutch: terugkomen — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Esperanto: reveni — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Estonian: naasma — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Faroese: koma aftur — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Finnish: palata — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • French: revenir — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Friulian: tornâ — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Galician: voltar — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Galician: retornar — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Georgian: დაბრუნება (dabruneba) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Georgian: ბრუნდება (brundeba) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • German: zurückkommen — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • German: zurückkehren — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Greek: ξανάρχομαι (xanárchomai) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Hebrew: שָׁב (shav) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Hindi: वापस आना (vāpas ānā) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Indonesian: kembali — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Indonesian: balik — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Irish: tar ar ais — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Irish: fill — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Italian: tornare — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Japanese: 戻る (modoru) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Japanese: 帰る (kaeru) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Kapampangan: magbalik — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Kapampangan: umuli — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Khmer: ត្រឡប់មកវិញ (trɑlɑp mɔɔk vɨɲ) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Khmer: ត្រឡប់ (trɑlɑp) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Korean: 돌아오다 (doraoda) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Central Kurdish: گەڕانەوە (gerranewe) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Lao: ກັບມາ (kap mā) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Lao: ເມືອ (mư̄a) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Latin: reveniō — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Latin: redeō — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Norman: r'vénîn — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Norwegian: returnere — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Norwegian: komme tilbake — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Persian: برگشتن (bargaštan) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Polish: wracać — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Polish: wrócić — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Portuguese: voltar — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Quechua: kutiy — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Quechua: t'ikray — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Romanian: întoarce — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Russian: возвраща́ться (vozvraščátʹsja) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Russian: возврати́ться (vozvratítʹsja) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Russian: верну́ться (vernútʹsja) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Serbo-Croatian: vrati se — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Slovak: prísť späť — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Slovak: vrátiť sa — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Slovak: navrátiť sa — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Slovene: vrni se — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Swedish: komma tillbaka — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Thai: กลับมา (glàp maa) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Ottoman Turkish: دونمك (dönmek) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Ugaritic: 𐎘𐎁 (ṯb) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Ukrainian: повернутися (povernutysja) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Urdu: واپس آنا (vāpas ānā) — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Vietnamese: trở lại — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Vietnamese: trở về — (''intransitive'') To return to a place
  • Spanish: contrarreplicar — to retort
  • Spanish: revirar — to retort
  • Spanish: reponer — to retort
  • Spanish: despanchurrar — to retort
  • Spanish: despachurrar — to retort
  • Spanish: espanchurrar — to retort
  • Spanish: retrucar — to retort
  • Spanish: remontarse — to return to a desirable state
  • Spanish: repuntar — to return to a desirable state
  • Spanish: desquitarse — to return to a desirable state
  • Spanish: recobrarse — to return to a desirable state