aback
[ ə-ˈbak]
[ə-ˈbak]
2 : in a position to catch the wind upon the forward surface (as of a sail)
3 : by surprise : unawares
//was taken aback by her sharp retort Synonyms & Antonyms for dainty
Synonyms: Synonyms
Recent Examples on the Web
//And this one drew crews from local television news stations there; at one point, the board’s chairwoman, Christine Araujo, appeared taken aback when one television reporter placed a microphone in front of her.
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BostonGlobe.com, "accepted the resignation of one member — Dorchester real estate agent Craig Galvin," 11 Sep. 2019
//Most recently, Van Lathan, a friend and TMZ journalist, was taken aback to finally learn about Hawkins’s NFL past.
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Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "An Ex-NFL Player's Path to Do-It-All Media Personality," 14 Aug. 2019
//When sponsors of a bill revamping Colorado’s oil and gas laws said the state’s regulations hadn’t changed much in decades, industry representatives were taken aback.
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Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, "Colorado toughened up its oil and gas rules. But how tough are they?," 11 Aug. 2019
//Yet Martelli, now an assistant coach at Michigan under Howard, immediately found himself taken aback by Howard's honesty and character.
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Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Phil Martelli 'touched immediately' in first conversation with Juwan Howard," 25 July 2019
//But Chinese leaders were taken aback by President Trump’s failed meeting in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the people said.
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Bob Davis, WSJ, "U.S.-China Trade Talks Hit a Bump," 8 Mar. 2019
//Actavis officials were taken aback, the court records show.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Little-known makers of generic drugs played central role in opioid crisis, records show," 27 July 2019
//McCollum’s staff read through the U.S. Department of Justice grant application and were taken aback by the fact that a lobbyist for ShotSpotter, which makes gunshot detection hardware, took the lead in distributing it.
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Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, "Betty McCollum critical of St. Paul police grant application calling Green Line a crime magnet," 26 July 2019
//For a thoughtful man who was initially taken aback by the deal that sent him from the Big Apple, the star receiver seemed fully at peace as the Browns opened camp.
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Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Cleveland Browns' Odell Beckham Jr., sheds signature dreadlocks 'to clean the slate'," 25 July 2019
First Known Use of aback
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries near aback
Phrases Related to aback
More Synonyms and Antonyms ofaback
without warning
- completely taken aback by the neighbors' announcement that they were moving
More Definitions foraback
: by surprise
//He was taken aback by the change in plan.