taken aback
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Europeans constantly seem taken aback at how seriously Americans take themselves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Nash said: "I was taken aback that we were able to date it and analyse the pigments. This is an exciting rediscovery, significant in understanding what was going on in Wales in the deep past."
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 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
Perkins said she had been taken aback by how expensive treatment can be and said she sympathised with those without insurance.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
Byerley was taken aback, “Why do you say that?—I was rather hoping for your approval in this matter.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
