take aback

phrase

as in surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected Everyone was taken aback by her sudden anger. The family seemed taken aback by the overwhelming generosity of their neighbors.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Thesaurus Entries Near take aback

Cite this Entry

“Take aback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20aback. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!