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 But the team was taken aback by Vice President Harris, who has solidified her position as the likely Democratic nominee, the Israeli official familiar with the discussions said. —

Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 27 July 2024 Black, who presented Gass with a birthday cake onstage when his bandmate made the problematic wish about Trump, said he was also taken aback. —

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2024 Shaquille O’Neal is known for being a jokester, but his recent Instagram post had people taken aback. —

Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 24 June 2024 Defense attorney Raven Liberty told the Miami Herald she was taken aback by prosecutors’ efforts to introduce lyrics into the case. —

Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 June 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.