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aback
[ uh-bak ]
adverb
- toward the back.
- Nautical. so that the wind presses against the forward side of the sail or sails.
adjective
- (of a sail) positioned so that the wind presses against the forward side.
- (of a yard) positioned so that its sail is laid aback.
aback
/ əˈbæk /
adverb
- taken aback
- startled or disconcerted
- nautical (of a vessel or sail) having the wind against the forward side so as to prevent forward motion
- rare.towards the back; backwards
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of aback1
Idioms and Phrases
- taken aback, surprised and disconcerted:
I was taken aback by his harsh criticism.
More idioms and phrases containing aback
see take aback .Example Sentences
Even Hogan seemed taken aback by the reaction.
Garza said in his claim that he was “taken aback” by the dismissive response he received from his superiors, who took no immediate action.
When I describe her — a mother of six, a director, screenwriter, philanthropist and Tony Award-winning producer — as a woman with seemingly boundless capacity, she seems momentarily taken aback.
But he was taken aback when he saw the details of his first appearance as the eccentric vicar Father Chris.
I think I was shocked or taken aback.
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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.
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