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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
/ əˈæ /
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
yvlog History and Origins
yvlog 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
Ms Gosling, a paramedic, was "taken aback" when asked about limb donation as she had not heard of it before, but she agreed without hesitation.
We were all taken aback but I didn't understand that I was apparently the culprit.
Some lawyers admit to being taken aback by some of the tactics.
I was taken aback, naturally, but when I had my wits about me again, I thought, oh wow, this film has some traction, some real staying power.”
Baumgartner has helped feed “The Office” popularity machine for years, but he’s still taken aback at how much the show means to fans who have discovered it since it ended.
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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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