205 Comeback Quotes To Encourage Resilience

When life gets tough and you want to quit, these comeback quotes will inspire you to stay determined and active.

Life is hard for all of us, but the challenges we face help develop our character and mindset.

Comeback quotes to motivate you after a setback

1. “To have a comeback, you have to have a setback.” – Mr. T

2. “That’s the greatest comeback since Lazarus.” – Sid Waddell

3. “Nothing is cooler and more attractive than a big comeback, and that’ll be me.” – Steven Adler

4. “I’m always making a comeback, but nobody ever tells me where I’ve been.” – Billie Holiday

5. “Making a comeback is one of the most difficult things to do with dignity.” – Greg Lake

6. “Turn every setback into a comeback” – Kobe Bryant

7. “You only think of the best comeback when you leave.” – Jimmy Fallon

8. “I’m a comeback waiting to happen. No one deserves it more than I do.” – Sean Young

9. “I am facing a challenge, I am not facing defeat. Remember this.” – Nikki Rowe

10. “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” – Naoki Higashida

Quotes About Great Comebacks in Sports

11. “No matter how hard it is or how hard it gets, I’m going to make it.” –
Les Brown

12. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”– Nelson Mandela

13. “I’ve learned that something constructive comes from every defeat.”– Tom Landry

14. “The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.”– Pele

15. “I don’t know if God is a sports fan or not, but I do know this: He loves a good comeback.” – Lane Kiffin

16. “The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.”– Ernie Banks

17. “When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” – Terry Bradshaw

18. “You can never have the comeback if you don’t have the retirement.” — Chael Sonnen

19. “Any good comeback needs some true believers.” – John Boehner

20. “America loves a good comeback story!” — Laura van den Berg

21. “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.”– Marv Levy

22. “Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.” – Jim Valvano

23. “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi

Comeback Quotes From Successful People About Being an Underdog

24. “I never expect to lose. Even when I’m the underdog, I still prepare a victory speech.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

25. “I’ve always felt like the underdog, and I’m comfortable with that label.” – Pink

26. “Don’t say Aretha is making a comeback, because I’ve never been away!” — Aretha Franklin

27. “I’ve always been an underdog. I feel like I beat the odds.” – J. Cole

28. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.”- Billie Jean King

29. “The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.” – Kobe Bryant

30. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up.” –Michael Jordan

Snarky Comeback Quotes

31. “I was the undersized underdog who people never gave a chance. From that, the motivation to prove people wrong just grew and grew.” – Baker Mayfield

32. “To admit you want to have a comeback means you have to admit you weren’t what you were supposed to be. You dropped below your own standard.” – Marilyn Manson

33. “There’s nothing as exciting as a comeback – seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance.” – Rachel Griffiths

34. “The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it.” – Vince Lombardi

35. “There is nothing as sweet as a comeback, when you are down and out, about to lose, and out of time.” – Anne Lamott

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of cool quotes about keeping a relaxed mind.

36. “During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.” – Mickey Mantle

37. “To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” – Picabo Street

You might also like these quotes on second chances in life, love and more.

Witty comeback quotes

38. “Of course I talk like an idiot. How else could you understand me?” – Unknown

39. “There’s no need to repeat yourself. I ignored you just fine the first time.” – Unknown

40. “Never give up, never give in, and when the upper hand is ours, may we have the ability to handle the win with the dignity that we absorbed the loss.”– Doug Williams

41. “I’d agree with you but then we’d both be wrong.” – Unknown

42. “Insecure people don’t stage comebacks, since they don’t leave the scene.” — Atif Aslam

43. “Whenever I take a break for a couple of years, people use the term ‘comeback.’” — Pranitha Subhash

44. “By making a comeback, I’m changing the attitude of people toward me. If I’d known that people would react so enthusiastically, I’d have done it years ago.” — Mark Spitz

45. “I’ve found puddles deeper than you.” – Unknown

46. “Comeback is a good word, man.” — Mickey Rourke

47. “I would love to make a comeback, but I don’t know if people would want to see me.” — Karan Kapoor

If you’re enjoying this article, make sure also to check out these new month quotes that inspire new beginnings.

Hilarious comeback quotes

48. “You’re about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.” – Unknown

49. “It’s hilarious watching you try to fit your entire vocabulary into one sentence.” – Unknown

50. “The village called. They’d like their idiot back.” – Unknown

51. “Oh you’re talking to me, I thought you only talked behind my back.” – Unknown

52. “It’s a shame you can’t Photoshop your personality.” – Unknown

53. “My name must taste good because it’s always in your mouth.” – Unknown

54. “I’m an acquired taste. If you don’t like me, acquire some taste.” – Unknown

Don’t forget to also check out these warrior quotes on having an unbeatable mind.

Motivational comeback quotes

55. “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” ― John F. Kennedy

56. “The true measure of success is how many times you can bounce back from failure.” – Stephen Richards

57. “Success is how high you bounce back after you hit bottom.”– General George Patton

58. “To persevere is important to everybody. Don’t give up. Don’t Give in. There is always an answer to everything.” – Louis Zamperini

59. “I do a movie once every four years and they call it a comeback.” – Pam Grier

60. “Comebacks don’t seem likely when your back is up against the wall and your hope is depleted. But if you will stay the course, you will discover God’s power to reverse the irreversible in your life.” — Tony Evans

61. “A great champion deals with setback with a comeback.” – Donna de Varona

62. “A champion is defined by the adversity he overcomes.” – Anderson Silva

63. “You may be in a tough time but that setback is simply a setup for a greater comeback.” – Joel Osteen

64. “Your setback is just a setup for your comeback.” – Steve Harvey

More comeback quotes and sayings

65. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” – Theodore Roosevelt

66. “When you’re crying, your tears may be watering the seeds of your come-back.” – Steve Maraboli

67. “A setback only paves a way for a comeback.” – Evander Holyfield

68. “Even when you have doubts, take that step. Take chances. Mistakes are never a failure – they can be turned into wisdom.” – Cat Cora

69. “Sometimes loneliness makes the loudest noise.” – Aaron Ben-Ze’ev

70. “It’s not too late for a new beginning.” – Eleanor Brown

71. “Books can teach you many nice comebacks.” – Tamuna Tsertsvadze

72. “A comeback is a setback that did its homework, learned the lesson, and then moved forward.” – Eleanor Brown

73. “Kindness is the key that opens the door of favour and beautiful surprises.” – Michael Bassey Johnson

74. “I’m coming back and I’m coming back swinging!”― Benjamin Ford Crouch

75. “My comeback was not about winning or losing; it was about the feeling of being able to compete at top level again.” – Thomas Muster

76. “I feel blessed to have as many comebacks as I can.” – Paula Abdul

Comeback quotes to motivate you to try again

76. “The truth is, you don’t learn much from winning, but losing can make you a lot stronger.”― Drew Brees

77. “When you hit hard tough stuff, do you feel flattened because of it or rebound in a new direction to keep living, loving, moving, and growing?” – Susan C. Young

78. “Own the sadness, don’t let it own you.”  – Kwame Alexander

79. “It’s just one miss, but you’re gonna have a whole lotta makes in this life, ’cause you’re just that good, and it’s okay to be down and upset as long as you’re not down and out.”  – Kwame Alexander

80. “Failure is a part of the process. You just learn to pick yourself back up.” ― Michelle Obama

81. “Just because you fail once doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything.” – Marilyn Monroe

82. “It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.” – Zig Ziglar

83. But ultimately what matters most is resilience–the ability to quickly rebound from failures, indeed to see failure as a stepping stone to success.” – Arianna Huffington 

84. “Start today creating a vision for yourself, your life, and your career. Bounce back from adversity and create what you want, rebuild and rebrand.” – Germany Kent

85. “Success is sweet, especially when your enemies thought nothing good can come out of your life again.”  – Bamigboye Olurotimi 

Thought-provoking comeback quotes to help you bounce back

86. “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

87.  “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino

88. “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” – Margaret Thatcher

89. “Losers quit when they fail. Winners fail until they succeed.” – Robert Kiyosaki

90. “You make mistakes. Mistakes don’t make you.” – Maxwell Maltz

91. “Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going.’ – Roy T. Bennett

92. “A career is a series of ups and downs, of comebacks.” – Steve Guttenberg

93. “Under pressure, would I fold and disappear, or would I show everyone that when bad things happen, you fight?”― Drew Brees

94. “I just showed the world tonight, everyone suffering from mental health. You can comeback, it can be done.” – Tyson Fury

95. “The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” — Paulo Coelho

Comeback quotes to make you strong

96. “Recovery is full of ups and downs.
There is no such thing as a linear life.
But you can always turn your setbacks into setups to come back stronger.”― Brittany Burgunder

97. “When real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep walking.” – Sarah Jessica Parker

98. “I’m making the comeback of the century.” – Bob Backlund

99. “Those who mastered in the art of falling have no fear of rising!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

100. “You are right, I do fall down a lot.
But that wouldn’t be true if I never stood back up.”― Richelle E. Goodrich

101. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius

102. “Wallowing in self-pity hurts no one except you. Boss up and find a way to get going again.”― Germany Kent

103. “It’s not the failures in our life that define us, it’s the moments when we decide that getting back up is all that matters.” – Joel Brown

104. “It’s not about not getting knocked down. It’s about building yourself back 100X.”― Hiral Nagda

105. “Everyone falls down. Getting back up is how you learn how to walk.” – Walt Disney

Comeback quotes to inspire you during setbacks

106. “A setback often moves us to a road that is even worse, but leads to an even better destination.”― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

107. “The tougher the setback, the better the comeback.” ― Bernard Osei Annang

108. “Success is about handling the setbacks, problems and mess, over and over.” ― Sharon Pearson

109. “Disappointment is a natural part of the schedule if you plan on winning.” ― Johnnie Dent Jr.

110. “When you have a setback it is actually a set forth of great you and greater things for you in the future.”― Aiyaz Uddin

111. “Almost every so-called setback is an opportunity for growth, learning, self-love, wisdom and humility.”― Rasheed Ogunlaru

112. “A broken candle still lights, a broken crayon still colors.” ― Amit Kalantri

113. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison

114. “You can cry again or You can try again. Choice is yours.” ― Soham Mondal

115. “Don’t be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That’s only the initial impression.” – Olga Korbut

Comeback Quotes That Bring You Memories

116. “What makes a person a success is how they handle the lows in life and how they make their comeback.” — Chelsea Krost

117. “I had to develop the mentality and stay positive about making my comeback.” — Alonzo Mourning

118. “Well, I can throw a mean comeback, so there’s that. I will crush them on wit.” — Rachel Caine

119. “The backpackers are back on the bandwagon like this was my comeback season back, back in the day.” — Drake

120. “The person who receives the most favors is the one who knows how to return them.” — Publilius Syrus

121. “I’m not really keen on comebacks. Eurythmics was an incredible thing. When I look back on that work, I feel very satisfied with it.” — Annie Lennox

122. “So people will come along and do new things and sometimes return to the spirit of an earlier age.” — Norman McLaren

123. “Now I’m making a comeback into the industry. Everyone is receiving me with open arms.” — Tony Sunshine

124. “I made a little money. And like the Bible says, I was enjoying the fruits of my labor. This is my comeback. This is me doing what I love to do.” — Mr. T

125. “The most effective comeback to an insult is silence.” — Russell Lynes

Comeback quotes for Instagram

126. “Today’s struggle is tomorrow’s strength, today’s setback is tomorrow’s comeback” – Amit Kalantri

127. “Setbacks have an upside; they fuel new dreams.” ― Dara Torres

128. “You should not let setbacks crush your spirit.”― Stanley T. Crawford

129. “I’ve had a few setbacks in my life. But I never gave up.” ― Marry S. Truman

130. “We do not mature with age. We mature with the setbacks that we face in life!”
― Avijeet Das

131. “Don’t watch the clock. Do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson

132. “Setbacks allow us to take a step back and look at the view from a whole.”
― Brittany Burgunder

133. “Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill

134. “Turn a setback into a comeback.” ― Kevin J. Donaldson

135. “We need to learn from our errors and move on.” – Steve Maraboli

Comeback Quotes To Encourage You To Bounce Back After A setback

136.  “You can make a comeback, but ONLY if you believe you can.” — Nathan Lee Morales

137. “The comeback is always powerful than the failure.” — Invajy

138. “When a ‘setback’ brings a ‘comeback,’ that’s grace in action!” — Evinda Lepins

139. “It’s never too late to make a comeback.” — Christina Katz

140.“It’s not all over, till you have the courage to comeback.” — Invajy

141.  It’s not about the setback; it’s about the comeback.” — Robyn Benincasa

142. “Comeback! Even as a shadow, even as a dream.” — Anne Carson

143. “i’m like a ‘comeback kid’ – you can’t keep me down for long!” — Nicola Adams

144. “If you have a setback, Don’t take a step back- Get ready for a comeback!” — Tim Storey

145. “A quick comeback is usually meant as license to be mean.” — Steven Petrow

Comeback Quotes To Become a Better Version of Yourself

146. “The stardom thing happened and now I’m trying to make a comeback, if you want to call it that.” — Leif Garrett

147. “I think about making a comeback every single day. I went running, I went training, did that for a few days. But my body couldn’t handle it.” — Oscar De La Hoya

148. I’m never going to be content with a comeback when you end up losing … You can’t just accept being in a game that’s close and end up losing it. It’s just not okay.” — Charlie Weis

149. “The selection rules are the same for everybody. I am trying to make a comeback just like some other players who got dropped after the Pakistan tour. I hope my time will come.” — Sourav Ganguly

150. “I’m always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where I’ve been.” — Billie Holiday

151. “I’m coming back. Write it down in big letters. I’m not going out like this.” — Mariano Rivera

152. “Every setback has a major comeback.” — Russell Wilson

153. “When I first made the comeback it was more about getting fit and hopefully inspiring others to lead a better life… for me to achieve what I have achieved over the last two years has been a dream come true.” — Geoff Huegill

154. “A comeback is possible so let’s hope it’s a good day for us. Arsenal is a very fast team but we can get through.” — Manuel Pellegrini

155. “A setback is a setup for a comeback.” — Les Brown

Comeback Quotes That Get You Back in Style

156. “I owe a great deal of thanks to this man who will be gracious enough to say I’ve helped him with his career and comeback, but it’s every bit the opposite.” ― Shane Black

157. “I’ve always made some legendary comebacks since 1998 when it first started. So that’s kind of just been my MO for my whole career.” ― Serena Williams

158. “Let me tell you something: for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.” ― Michelle Obama

159. “You know, marriage is making a big comeback. I know personally that in Hollywood people are marrying people they never married before.” ― Bob Hope

160. “Remember this, classics never make a comeback. They wait for that perfect moment to take the spotlight from overdone, tired trends.” ― Tabatha Coffey

161. “It’s not easy being a father, but I’ve been allowed a comeback.” ― Alan King

162. “Unlike an external enemy, the inner enemy cannot regroup and launch a comeback once it has been destroyed from within.” ― Dalai Lama

163. “It was an amazing win and testament to the character of the team. From the position we were in it must be one of the greatest comebacks.” ― Adam Gilchrist

164. “A setback only paves the way for a comeback.” ― Evander Holyfield

165. “If Lance is clean, it is the greatest comeback in the history of sports. If he isn’t, it would be the greatest fraud.” ― Greg LeMond

Powerful Comeback Quotes to Inspire Resilience

166. “Oppression is more easily endured than insult.” ― Junius

167. “One of the greatest things about playing a villain is people wondering when he’s going to make his comeback.” ― Michael McMillian

168. “If we invest in the American people, the American people always bring this Nation a good return.” ― Blanche Lincoln

169. “When I look at things, I always see the space they occupy. I always want the space to reappear, to make a comeback, because it’s lost space when there’s something in it.” ― Andy Warhol

170. “A setback is nothing but a setup for a comeback.” ― Dennis Kimbro

171. “What you think is a setback, is really a set-up for a greater comeback!” ― Joel Osteen

172. Not to be loved is a misfortune, but it is an insult to be loved no longer.” ― Baron de Montesquieu

173. “Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

174. “The circle of the return to birth can only remain open, but this is a chance, a sign of life, and a wound.” ― Jacques Derrida

175. “We all had lots of stories of our sad experiences – they mourned the death of my wife with me – but we were hopeful that the children would return.” ― Otto Frank

Comeback Quotes to Motivate and Encourage Your Comeback Journey

176. “We are equally glad and surprised at Winston’s return to office. It shows that he was built for success that he should have declined to withdraw and sulk over a superficial failure.” ― Shane Leslie

177. “On the way to work good-hearted young girls sometimes offer me their seats, which I accept and bless them in return, a transaction satisfying to all concerned.” ― Lionel Blue

178. “One thing that has made a big comeback just recently is this business of speaking with the dead. To my innocent mind, ‘dead’ implies incapable of communicating.” ― James Randi

179. “Sometimes I think I might insult people by being openly flirtatious, then snatching it back.” ― Dominique Swain

180. “Ultimately, there is no compromise. Westerners will either retain their civilization, including the right to insult and blaspheme, or not.” ― Daniel Pipes

181. “My family is involved and my wife Brenda is a great, great writer. She helps me with the writing of everything and also sings with me. I owe a lot to Brenda.” ― Rick Derringer

182. “Consciousness itself is an infinite regress. This explains coincidences.” ― Robert Anton Wilson

183. “The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it.” ― Vince Lombardi

184. “Small mistakes tend to lead to large ones. Ours is a lifetime appoinment, and all you have is your reputation. Once it’s gone, it doesn’t comeback.” ― David Baldacci

185. For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

Comeback Quotes To Help You Rise Up

186. “I think my best times were in the ’70s, when I made the comeback. Then there was 1976, when ‘Shove It’ came along.” ― Johnny Paycheck

187. “Every time I do a TV series or a film, I am asked if it’s a comeback. No, it’s more about getting a good role or not.” ― Mohnish Bahl

188. “To be honest, my videos are for myself. I didn’t look at social media as a vehicle for my comeback.” ― Sameera Reddy

189. “After I made my comeback in 2002 and won the Jaws Tow-In World Cup, the eyes of the surfing world were on me in a way they’d never been before.” ― Garrett McNamara

190. “When a director is making a movie after four years, it’s not considered his comeback. It should be same with actors.” ― Mahima Chaudhry

191. “I’m in this profession because of Mani Ratnam. He was the one who brought me here. He taught me everything. And he inspired me to make a comeback.” ― Arvind Swami

192. “I’m still not ready to come back and ‘And Once Again’ is just a one-off film that I’m doing. It’s not my comeback film.” ― Antara Mali

193. “People usually start off on a high note in their careers and then wane off and then restart with a comeback.” ― Divya Dutta

194. “I have watched a documentary on Caster Semenya. I am inspired by how she made a comeback.” ― Dutee Chand

195. “There have been many boxing comebacks over the years, and sadly many of them do not have a happy ending.” ― Carl Froch

Comeback Quotes To Unlock Your New Power

196. “Wrestling died. It had a comeback in the early ’90s just through word of mouth with Brian Dixon’s shows.” ― William Regal

197. “The Comeback’ is so cringey and difficult, but watching it, what I was really struck with was the kindness and the generosity.” ― Raphael Bob-Waksberg

198. “I’ve been around a lot of greats I seen in this industry that have problems, but the comeback can be that much greater.” ― Scott Storch

199. “In the Depression, big musicals made a comeback.” ― Katherine Kelly

200. “I’ve built a career on the survival skill I honed early on: being a smart aleck who is good with a fast comeback.” ― Bobby Bones

201. “I like to introduce a few lost gems when I can to fellow word-lovers, and would genuinely love some of them to make a comeback.” ― Susie Dent

202. “’The Biggest Loser’ was only a steppingstone to my comeback, to my ultimate success. It was a vehicle to give me my life back. It was a vehicle to give me my health.” ―  Rulon Gardner

203. “In the single group format, where each team plays against the other, it gives a chance to the established outfits to make a comeback if they falter in the early games.” ― Inzamam-ul-Haq

204. “We need to show character whenever we concede a goal and try to make a comeback.” ― Nicolas Anelka

205. “I’m passionate again about writing. This is important to me; it’s got to be the comeback book.” ― Jeffrey Archer

206. “Looking back at all the people I have insulted, I am mildly surprised that I am still allowed to exist.” ― Auberon Waugh

207. “The rich are always advising the poor, but the poor seldom return the compliment.” ― Lord Chesterfield

208. “There is nothing that people bear more impatiently, or forgive less, than contempt: and an injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult.” ― Lord Chesterfield

209. “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.” ― Serena Williams

210. “You’re never a loser until you quit trying.” ― Mike Ditka

211. “I was making comebacks every single year. That makes it difficult mentally. It causes a lot of stress.” ― Marat Safin

212. “I hate every minute of training. But I said, don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” ― Muhammad Ali

213. “The true competitors, though, are the ones who always play to win.” ― Tom Brady

214. “Every time I show up to do something here, it’s considered a comeback. If I came into town and they didn’t call it that, I’d be disappointed.” ― Sheena Easton

215. “Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” ― Napoleon Hill

Which of these comeback quotes inspired you to give it your all?

When you’re on the athletic field, it comes from enduring failures and losses, learning from them all the while.

After you eventually triumph, you’ll feel the satisfaction of an extraordinary comeback. 

Maybe your difficulties are in a different part of your life, like your job, your creative side, or your personal life.

Wherever you are, your setbacks create an opportunity to persevere and make an inspirational comeback.

Finally, when it comes to conversation, a great funny comeback has to be delivered quickly and decisively, with the perfect blend of clever wit and dry humor.

Now you are prepared to make your own great comeback.

Which of these comeback quotes and sayings inspired you to give it your all.

Do you have any other inspirational quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.