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

That answer left me visibly taken aback on camera — and still unprepared for Elen Trosino. — Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

After hearing all his accomplishments and accolades from his 40+ year career, Yoshiki is taken aback in disbelief. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Tubbs was taken aback by the strange-looking volunteer who met him at the door, a man named Jacob Ferguson. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

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

Rhymes for take aback

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