double take
noun
dou·ble take
| \ ˈdə-bəl-ˌtāk
\
\
Definition of double take
: a delayed reaction to a surprising or significant situation after an initial failure to notice anything unusual
—usually used in the phrase do a double take
Examples of double take in a Sentence
His parents did a double take when he came home with a tattoo.
Recent Examples on the Web
Wuhan, China Lily Airways Restaurant First-time visitors to Wuhan, the largest city in central China, often do double takes... — Bob Cooper, WSJ, "Vintage Trains and Planes Converted Into Novel Restaurants and Bars," 31 Jan. 2019 Major hair moments provoked a few double takes this week as well. — Akili King, Vogue, "The Best Beauty Instagrams of the Week: Gabrielle Union, Pharrell, and More," 2 June 2019 But a recent photo Bella shared to her Instagram Stories had fans and followers doing a double take. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Bella Hadid Dyed Her Hair Blond and Looks Exactly Like Gigi Now," 18 July 2019 Julia Cho’s unusual story is lovingly brought to life by director Jeffrey Lo, who includes a touch of sentimentality, a snippet or two of audience participation, punchy laugh lines, double takes and more. — Joanne Engelhardt, The Mercury News, "Theater review: ‘Language Archive’ talks the talk," 18 July 2019 The actress and singer stepped out in New York City earlier this week in a subtle, polished ensemble that was still worthy of a double take. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Jennifer Lopez Gets a Headstart on Fashion’s New Mood," 24 Mar. 2019 Santana has a big bag of tricks that frequently tickle the funny bone (and his double takes are priceless). — Joanne Engelhardt, The Mercury News, "Theater review: Don’t think twice; go see ‘Two Guvnors’," 20 June 2019 The bangs were so believable, social media (and my fiancé!) did double takes. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "I Tried the Kendall Jenner-Approved, Commitment-Free Bangs," 4 Mar. 2019 Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, who has worked with Kim, North, and Ariana, posted a pic of the two ponytail twins on his Instagram and the photo made Ari do a double take. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Ariana Grande Made the Funniest Joke on a Picture of Kim Kardashian and North West," 1 Oct. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'double take.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for double take
double take
noun
English Language Learners Definition of double take
: an act of quickly looking at something that is surprising or unusual a second time after looking at it a moment earlier
See the full definition for double take in the English Language Learners Dictionary