comebacker

noun

come·​back·​er ˈkəm-ˌba-kər How to pronounce comebacker (audio)
plural comebackers
1
baseball : a ground ball hit directly to the pitcher
… Cormier had retired Mo Vaughn … on a weak comebacker to the mound to end the seventh.—Gordon Edes
2
golf : a putt back to the hole after a preceding putt has rolled past it
After pitching to within 20 feet of the pin, Junior runs his first putt four feet past and then misses the comebacker.—Jaime Diaz

Examples of comebacker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Following a leadoff walk, opener Jordan Hicks fielded a comebacker to the mound. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026 Catcher Freddy Fermin made a long run and a sliding catch in front of the Padres’ dugout on the third base side, and Mize got a comebacker that would have at least eliminated the lead runner and gotten him a second out. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026 Oswalt reached to his right and snared the comebacker, securing the last out of his perfect game. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Webb took a hit to the right shoulder area on a comebacker in the fifth but continued pitching after the Giants’ medical staff came to the mound to check on him. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for comebacker

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of comebacker was in 1954

Rhymes for comebacker

See All Rhymes for comebacker

Browse Nearby Words

come back
comebacker
come back from
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Comebacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comebacker. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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