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 + by
He was taken aback by her answer.

Examples of take aback in a Sentence

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And when Jake is distracted and momentarily taken aback after getting a fleeting glance of his nephew, Banner fires two bullets into Clyde before Clyde can kill Jake. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 6 Apr. 2025 Horse farm owner Kacie Bachman said she was also taken aback by the notion that the U.S. government would not be a reliable partner. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025 Jane, who was taken aback by the encounter, proceeded to walk down the steps to help John gather his things and clean up the coffee. Terina Allen, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 There was another person who was taken aback by the explosion. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take aback

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Cite this Entry

“Take aback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20aback. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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