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.
Posting social media fliers for free, I was taken aback when 80 people of all levels and backgrounds signed up for my first session, from ages 14 to 90.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
An invitation brings a smile to your face, but the fact that you were taken aback by the sender of the invite created just enough friction in the process to give you pause.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
"He thought of a hospital as one that could treat both people and animals," Kelemework explains, adding that he was taken aback by the response to his nephew's kindness.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
BP directors and company outsiders were at times taken aback by how assured Manifold seemed even before he had met with business heads, people familiar with the discussions said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
He seems taken aback, although the sneer doesn’t leave his face.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
