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.
Officials in London always knew that such a dramatic shift in policy towards Israel-Palestine was going to elicit a hostile response, but seemed taken aback by the speed and ferocity of Israel's reaction.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
I still remember being completely taken aback by how good the food was.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
He talked about meeting Curry at the Roxy when they were bringing the show to the U.S. and how taken aback he was to see him in character.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 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
Roy Lee, like me, was too taken aback to say anything at all.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
