“Taken aback” has several recorded crossword answers. The best candidates are AGHAST (6 letters), STARTLED (8), ALARMED (7), STUNG (5), SURPRISED (9), DISMAYED (8), and STUNNED (7). Match the answer to your grid length and crossing letters; the clue alone does not determine a unique fill.
Possible answers by letter count
| Length | Candidate answers | Recorded puzzle examples |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | STUNG | Thomas Joseph, November 23, 2023; Crossword Monkey records this entry. |
| 6 | AGHAST | Wall Street Journal, April 18, 2026; Crossword Solver lists it as a likely six-letter answer. |
| 7 | ALARMED, STUNNED | ALARMED: LA Times Daily, July 5, 2024, and Newsday.com, March 10, 2013, according to answer databases. STUNNED: The Telegraph Quick, October 15, 2018. |
| 8 | STARTLED, DISMAYED | STARTLED: The Telegraph Quick, March 19, 2026, and The Times Concise, January 6, 2002, in answer databases. DISMAYED: Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2020. |
| 9 | SURPRISED | The Guardian Quick, April 21, 2023, recorded by answer databases. |
| 12 | DISCONCERTED | Puzzler, November 23, 2023, recorded by Crossword Solver. |
These publication and date records come from third-party answer indexes, not independently verified publisher archives. WordDB calls STARTLED its leading match, but that database ranking does not make it the answer for every puzzle.
How to identify the answer in your puzzle
- Count the squares. Eliminate every candidate that does not fit the entry length.
- Check crossing letters. Use intersecting answers to distinguish candidates with the same length, such as ALARMED and STUNNED, or STARTLED and DISMAYED.
- Use the puzzle’s publication and date if needed. Compare those details with a reliable archive or answer key when the grid does not settle the choice.
For example, a six-square entry points to AGHAST among the listed candidates; an eight-square entry leaves STARTLED or DISMAYED to resolve with crossings and puzzle details.
Why there is more than one fill
“Taken aback” is a general synonym-style clue, so different puzzles can use different words for the idea. Crossword answer databases record several fills across publications and dates, but their records are clues to investigate rather than a universal answer key. The grid is the decisive evidence for your particular puzzle.
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