Off-guard

Usage examples of aback.

Tamir was taken aback by the two other men with Eshkol-Meir Amit, the head of Mossad, and Moshe Dayan, the minister of defense.

The attacking party looked rather taken aback for a moment as he followed her with his eyes, but sat down again and began to eat and laugh afresh, while everybody else kept a profound silence.

Instead of hauling hard up, as the race demanded and the Biter men expected, he spun the wheel to put her head to windward while his crew good, fast men despite their worn appearances -braced main and fore yards round at such a speed they went aback instantly, with a battery of explosive cracks.

The young blockhead seemed taken aback and in his turn bit his lips, but his evil genius made him, strike in again at dessert.

But, whenever their efforts are unexpectedly, and for themselves unfortunately successful, they are so taken aback that they lose the power of behaving themselves with even gigantesque propriety.

Capsucefalo, a little taken aback, said it cost him four hundred sequins.

Nurse Callan taken aback in the hallway cannot stay them nor smiling surgeon coming downstairs with news of placentation ended, a full pound if a milligramme.

Her bows swung clear swiftly, her sails filled and she bore away, leaving the galleon wallowing, her flapping sails taken all aback, making ungainly sternway.

The wind from the explosion roared over the frigate and, for a moment, her sails were taken aback and she began to lose steerage way.

He was taken aback by the sudden frenzy that greeted his simple invitation, and for the rest of the morning it was all he could do to keep up as garage salers came and went, most not buying anything, some picking up a few items, several trying to bargain him down from the marked price.

Vini was taken aback by the effects of her own vehemence and was about to apologize when Sora suddenly came out of her shell.

Lost in the unexpected warmth of the hug that Garth gave her as he opened the door, Claudia was too taken aback to do a thing other than simply let him hold her and be glad that he was doing so, be grateful to him not just for his human warmth but for his instinctive and correct reading of her mood, her fragility and uncertainty, her vulnerability.

She had been wrong about his feelings before and had been taken aback when she tried to comfort or reassure him, only to find he felt no need for it, and was annoyed by her attempt.

Thiodolf held aback and led the midmost company, as his wont was, and the more part of the Wolfings were with him.

And ever the Witches were put aback and lost much ground, yet ever the Lord Corund by his great valiance and noble heart recomforted his folk, so that they gave back very slowly, most bloodily disputing the ground foot by foot to the bridge-gate, that they also might win in again, so many as might.