Search results
The meaning of TAKE ABACK is to surprise or shock (someone) —usually used as (be) taken aback —often + by. How to use take aback in a sentence.
to surprise or shock someone so much that they do not know how to behave for a short time: I was a little taken aback at the directness of the question. The news really took us aback. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Surprising and shocking. against all expectations phrase. amaze. amazingly. astonish. dumbfoundingly. dynamite.
I was taken aback when the announcement of the chairman was made this morning. They were taken aback because many small businesses, especially new businesses, could have been landed with unknown, potentially damaging cash liabilities. These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web.
What's the meaning of the phrase 'Taken aback'? To be taken aback is to be surprised or startled by a sudden turn of events. What's the origin of the phrase 'Taken aback'?
Some officers were taken aback by the statistics and stories that were shared. The Guardian ( 2016 ) The new custodians of the collection admit to being taken aback by its sheer scale.
Definition of take aback phrasal verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Take aback definition: to astonish or disconcert. See examples of TAKE ABACK used in a sentence.
He struggled as television crews tried to mike him up for sound and seemed taken aback when delegates asked him for an autograph. The landlord, who seemed to be thoroughly taken aback, unlocked the door with a trembling hand, and the missionary passed out.
take aback. Surprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark. This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829.
be taken aback (by something) meaning, definition, what is be taken aback (by something): to be very surprised or shocked by somet...: Learn more.
