take aback

phrasal verb

took aback; taken aback; taking aback; takes aback

Synonyms of take aback next

: to surprise or shock (someone)

—usually used as (be) taken aback

When I told him my answer, he seemed taken aback.

—often + by

He was taken aback by her answer.

Examples of take aback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The designer, known for his love of all things shiny and sparkly, joked that even he was taken aback upon seeing the prototype. —

Rhonda Richford, WWD, 11 Sep. 2024 Jolie was reportedly taken aback by the response, according to People magazine. —

Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024 Victor explains that his family had not taught the dog how to use the doorbell camera, so they were taken aback when Buddy used the device like a pro. —

Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 15 Aug. 2024 Loading your audio article SAN JOSE — When Long Pham visited Vietnam in 2011, he was taken aback to see a local police officer commit an abuse of power. —

Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take aback

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take aback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.