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.
During his run, he said, he was taken aback by sights such as a North Korean raising a poodle’s paw to wave at runners.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
After the destruction of the Verona fire, Teller was taken aback by the support from neighbors and even his competition in the beekeeping business.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
"Don't put me in the same category as those two!" says Jay Lovell, taken aback as his name is mentioned in the same breath as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Smart said she was a little taken aback when she first learned how things would pan out for aging comic Deborah Vance and her mentee Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
“Um,” I said, taken aback by his size, “not really.”
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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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