double take

noun

dou·​ble take ˈdə-bəl-ˌtāk 

: a delayed reaction to a surprising or significant situation after an initial failure to notice anything unusual

—usually used in the phrase do a double take

Examples of double take in a Sentence

His parents did a double take when he came home with a tattoo.

Recent Examples on the Web

Prince William and Prince George had fans doing a double take with a rare casual outing on November 3. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 3 Nov. 2026

From celebrity brothers like the hilarious Wayans or the silver-haired Baldwins to lookalike sisters like the Kardashians, these families look so much alike that sometimes, fans have to do a double take. — Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2026

Guests, draped in the collection, stopped by a Gap food truck to catch up over cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and fries, while passersby in SoHo did a double take. — Ruby Ford-Dunker, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026

Here, a look at the hair and makeup moments that had WWD doing a double take. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for double take

• overtake
• rattlesnake
• shiitake
• undertake
• wapentake
• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik

Kids Definition

double take

noun

dou·​ble take ˈdəb-əl-ˌtāk 

: a delayed reaction to a surprising or unusual situation after first failing to notice anything unusual