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.
But Rodriguez, who has endorsed Bass for mayor and is a frequent critic of Raman, said she was taken aback by Raman’s attitude at their dinner.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
When it debuted in March 2021, the health-focused Goop Kitchen had so many orders that even Paltrow was taken aback.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 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
Jessica Henwick is taken aback by the suggestion.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
“I have no idea,” said Professor Trelawney, looking slightly taken aback at the urgency in Harry’s voice.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
