aback
/əˈbæk/adv
Middle School
1
Towards the back or rear; backwards.
2
In the rear; a distance behind.
3
By surprise; startled; dumbfounded. (see usage)
4
Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Sound Patterns & Rhymes
Alliteration
Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)
Assonance
Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing
#archaic