take aback
phrasal 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 + byHe was taken aback by her answer.
Examples of take aback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
TikTok’s workers have been taken aback by the disciplinarian tone of the messaging and the appearance of the MyRTO dashboard, which serves as a reminder that the company is monitoring their daily whereabouts, according to interviews with multiple employees, who would speak only anonymously.
—
Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Pecola is taken aback not only by the wealth and abundance of this white family that employs her mother but also by the care her mother provides the white child who is represented onstage by a creepy doll.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
Belichick has witnessed more than his fair share of iconic performances at the stadium, but was still taken aback by Swift’s nearly four-hour set in the pouring rain.
—Jonathan X. Simmons, cleveland, 21 Aug. 2023
Of course, that's expected, but we're still taken aback at how aggressive the aero looks on the Honda.
—Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 24 July 2023
But talking to people that are my own age, even like 20, I was taken aback by it.
—Vulture, 14 July 2023
The designer and creative director, who is a frequent Nike collaborator was taken aback by the athleticism and bravery displayed by the players.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 26 Aug. 2023
And after the bomb was dropped, she was really taken aback by the scale of the destruction.
—Erica Huang, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2023
Visibly taken aback, Vernikov cursed as the man walked off, laughing.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
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Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Pecola is taken aback not only by the wealth and abundance of this white family that employs her mother but also by the care her mother provides the white child who is represented onstage by a creepy doll.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2023
Belichick has witnessed more than his fair share of iconic performances at the stadium, but was still taken aback by Swift’s nearly four-hour set in the pouring rain.
—Jonathan X. Simmons, cleveland, 21 Aug. 2023
Of course, that's expected, but we're still taken aback at how aggressive the aero looks on the Honda.
—Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 24 July 2023
But talking to people that are my own age, even like 20, I was taken aback by it.
—Vulture, 14 July 2023
The designer and creative director, who is a frequent Nike collaborator was taken aback by the athleticism and bravery displayed by the players.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 26 Aug. 2023
And after the bomb was dropped, she was really taken aback by the scale of the destruction.
—Erica Huang, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2023
Visibly taken aback, Vernikov cursed as the man walked off, laughing.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
See More
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.
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“Take aback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20aback. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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