take aback

verb

took aback; taken aback; taking aback; takes aback

: 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

In a few dinnertime recordings, I was taken aback by the sound of soft, relaxed voices over the sounds of forks and knives. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

Upon making their way inside the stadium for the Spain-Cape Verde clash, Bailey and Susanna were taken aback by the lively atmosphere. — Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

Drivers and pedestrians can be taken aback by e-cyclists’ rapid acceleration. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026

Two days after the Phillips sale, Paul Boutros, the house’s deputy chairman and head of watches in the Americas, said even he was taken aback by the numbers. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 29 June 2026

Rhymes for take aback

• ammoniac
• biofeedback
• counterattack
• demoniac
• elegiac
• noncardiac
• paranoiac
• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak