aback
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The man was clearly taken aback, some of the other patrons chuckling in surprise, the Dodger pulse of this town clearly resonating in a completely unusual fashion.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026
When county clerk Brianna Lennon got an email in November saying a newly expanded federal system had flagged 74 people on the county’s voter roll as potential noncitizens, she was taken aback.
From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026
But the St Andrews gym owner was taken aback when a message came in from the national paracycling team of Kenya.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
Wijgaarts, 40, was taken aback, thinking they were just in Paris for a weekend getaway.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
“This is just my first day,” I replied, taken aback.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Vocabulary lists containing aback
The Diary of Anne Frank
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Just Mercy
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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