Table of Contents POS
HYPHEN
WORDNET DICTIONARY
THESAURUS
ROGET THESAURUS

RELATED WORDS : aback double take give and take give or take take take a bow take a breath take a breather take a chance take a crack at take a crap take a dare take a dive take a firm stand take a hit take a hop take a joke take a leak take a look take a powder take a shit take account take advantage take advantage of take after take aim take apart take arms take aside take away take back take by storm take care take care of take chances take charge take control take cover take down take effect take exception take fire take five take flight take for take for granted take form take from take heart take heed take hold take hold of take home take home pay take in take in charge take in vain take in water take into account take issue take issue with take it take it easy take it on the chin take kindly to take leave take liberties take lying down take note take notice take off take office take on take one's lumps take orders take out take over take pains take part take place take pride take root take shape take sides take stage take steps take stock take ten take the air take the bull by the horns take the cake take the count take the edge off take the field take the fifth take the fifth amendment take the floor take the heat take the road take the stage take the stand take the veil take time take time by the forelock take time off take to take to be take to heart take to task take to the woods take turns take up take up arms take up with take water take with a grain of salt

WORDNET DICTIONARY

Verb take aback has 1 sense

• take aback(v = verb.emotion) ball over, blow out of the water, floor, shock - surprise greatly; knock someone's socks off; "I was floored when I heard that I was promoted"
is one way to surprise
Sample sentences:
The bad news will take aback him
The good news will take aback her
The performance is likely to take aback Sue

THESAURUS

take aback

abash, appall, astound, bowl down, bowl over, confound, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, electrify, frighten, jar, jolt, put out, shake, shock, stagger, startle, stun

ROGET THESAURUS

take aback

Inexpectation

VB not expect, be taken by surprise, start, miscalculate, not bargain for, come upon, fall upon, be unexpected, come unawares, turn up, pop, drop from the clouds, come upon one, burst upon one, flash upon one, bounce upon one, steal upon one, creep upon one, come like a thunder clap, burst like a thunderclap, thunder bolt, take by surprise, catch by surprise, catch unawares, catch napping, yach, pounce upon, spring a mine upon, surprise, startle, take aback, electrify, stun, stagger, take away one's breath, throw off one's guard, astonish, dumbfound.

For further exploring for "take aback" in Webster Dictionary Online