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View synonyms for double take

double take

noun

  1. a rapid or surprised second look, either literal or figurative, at a person or situation whose significance had not been completely grasped at first.

    His friends did a double take when they saw how much weight he had lost.



double take

noun

  1. (esp in comedy) a delayed reaction by a person to a remark, situation, etc

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of double take1

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40
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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.

It was a sight that prompted even seasoned wildlife watchers to do a double take: A coyote swimming in San Francisco Bay a quarter of a mile off Angel Island.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Before you reach for your snack drawer, you might want to do a double take.

Read more on Salon

He'd arrived at the road adjacent to the tree and had to "double take" as he saw it for the first time lying on its side.

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I have to admit, I did a double take when I saw in last Sunday’s letters, not just one, but two USC detractors dredged up the same tired old jab, “The University of Spoiled Children.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But then in 2020 I saw Kelly Fields’ “The Good Book of Southern Baking,” and I did a double take.

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