Pronunciation: /əˈbæk/
noun none
A1 I was taken aback by the loud noise.
A2 She was completely aback when she heard the news.
B1 The unexpected turn of events left him aback.
B2 The sudden change in plans caught everyone aback.
C1 His lack of preparation for the meeting left his colleagues aback.
C2 The complexity of the situation left even the experienced professionals aback.
verb none
A1 She was taken aback by the sudden loud noise.
A2 The unexpected news abacked him and left him speechless.
B1 The new regulations aback many employees who were not prepared for the changes.
B2 The controversial decision abacked the entire community and led to protests.
C1 The CEO was abacked by the negative feedback from shareholders during the meeting.
C2 The politician was abacked by the backlash from his controversial statements.
adjective none
A1 She was taken aback by the sudden noise.
A2 The unexpected news left him aback.
B1 I was completely aback when I saw the price of the car.
B2 The complexity of the situation left everyone aback.
C1 The politician was taken aback by the backlash from his controversial statement.
C2 The artist was aback by the overwhelming positive response to her latest exhibition.
adverb towards or into a backward position
A1 She was taken aback by the sudden noise.
A2 The news of his resignation left everyone aback.
B1 I was completely taken aback by his unexpected apology.
B2 The complexity of the situation left me aback for a moment.
C1 The professor's insightful comments took the audience aback.
C2 Her bold decision to quit her job left her colleagues aback.
pronoun none
A1 She was taken aback by the sudden news.
A2 I was completely aback when I saw the final exam questions.
B1 The team was taken aback by the unexpected defeat.
B2 The CEO was aback by the employee's resignation.
C1 The politician was aback by the public's reaction to his speech.
C2 The professor was aback by the student's insightful analysis.
preposition none
A1 She was taken aback by the sudden noise.
A2 The unexpected news left him aback.
B1 I was completely taken aback when I heard the news.
B2 The changes in the company structure left the employees aback.
C1 The complexity of the situation left even the experienced professionals aback.
C2 The sudden turn of events in the negotiation left everyone aback.
conjunction none
A1 I was taken aback when I saw the price of the dress.
A2 She was taken aback by the sudden news of her promotion.
B1 The unexpected turn of events left me completely aback.
B2 He was taken aback by her boldness and confidence.
C1 The politician was taken aback by the backlash from his controversial statement.
C2 The CEO was taken aback by the sudden resignation of his top executive.
interjection none
A1 Aback! I didn't expect to see you here.
A2 Aback! What a surprise to see you at the party.
B1 Aback! I was taken aback by the sudden change in weather.
B2 Aback! I was completely caught off guard by his unexpected confession.
C1 Aback! The news of her resignation left me speechless.
C2 Aback! I was utterly astonished by the sheer audacity of his proposal.
article none
A1 I was taken aback by the surprise party my friends threw for me.
A2 She was completely aback when she heard the news of her promotion.
B1 The new employee was taken aback by the fast pace of the office environment.
B2 The team was aback by the sudden change in management.
C1 The CEO was taken aback by the negative feedback from customers.
C2 The politician was aback by the scandal that rocked their campaign.
formal The news of the sudden resignation took everyone aback.
informal I was completely aback when I heard about the surprise party.
slang I was totally aback by her new hair color.
figurative The complexity of the issue left me aback.
abacked
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