comeback kids
Late-surging competitors
Comeback kids are people—often athletes or political candidates—who recover from setbacks to achieve success.
The phrase emphasizes resilience and the dramatic arc of falling behind before surging back: The team earned their reputation as comeback kids after rallying from a 20-point deficit.
Used for individuals or groups who repeatedly defy expectations of failure.
- underdogsCompetitors expected to fail
- against all oddsDespite extreme improbability
- successesFavorable outcomes achieved
- resurgenceReturn after dormancy
- returneesThose who came back
revival · rising from the ashes · rebound · rally · overcome · turnaround · fourth quarter · never say die · self-belief · Muhammad Ali · resilience · Nelson Mandela · perseverance · grit · fighting spirit · second chance · down but not out · victories
comeback kidsfront-runners
Leaders in a competition
chokers · faders · also-rans · one-hit wonders · flash in the pan
comeback kidsquitters
People who stop persisting
defeatists · surrenderers · capitulators · head cases · pushovers
comeback, kids, come, back, comes, coming, backs, backed, backing