as in suddenly
without warning
completely taken aback by the neighbors' announcement that they were moving
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Recent Examples of aback
Rodgers took some players aback by his just-one-of-the-guys approach.
—
Mike Jones, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Hashim Raza remembers being thrown aback when his son professed his love for Hussain-Raza.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Glen Sitwell, a building manager who watched all of this play out from his corner office, said the aggressive posture of the agents took him aback.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
But the script’s unhurried reveal took me aback: What starts as an intriguing period drama set in the Jim Crow–era South curdles into a chilling showdown.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aback
Mike Jones, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Hashim Raza remembers being thrown aback when his son professed his love for Hussain-Raza.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Glen Sitwell, a building manager who watched all of this play out from his corner office, said the aggressive posture of the agents took him aback.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
But the script’s unhurried reveal took me aback: What starts as an intriguing period drama set in the Jim Crow–era South curdles into a chilling showdown.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aback
Adverb
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What had been absurdly labeled impossible suddenly was proven to be very doable.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Celsius, as the Washington Examiner previously reported, is the fuel that keeps the Capitol engine running, so staffers are understandably up in arms as the cost of a can has suddenly spiked by a whopping 10 cents to now cost $4.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Bodyman centers on a violent power struggle that unfolds during a family Christmas gathering after an eccentric billionaire unexpectedly transfers control of his private military company to his longtime bodyguard, played by Jonas, instead of to his adult children.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Feb. 2026
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What happened next is what makes the Olympics so unexpectedly compelling.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aback. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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