bowl over

verb

bowled over; bowling over; bowls over

transitive verb

1
: to take unawares
2

Examples of bowl over in a Sentence

she was bowled over to learn that she had a long-lost sister
Recent Examples on the Web Walking among the other athletes, bumping shoulders with my teammates, I was bowled over by the sheer number of people present. SELF, 11 June 2024 By the time an unexpected — and almost overwhelmingly powerful — cameo catches you by surprise at the end, you’ll be bowled over. Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024 But Macaluso offered a glimmer of hope for disappointed patrons bowled over by the news. Téa Kvetenadze, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2024 The verdict capped a weekslong trial that alternated between harrowing testimony by boys who were bowled over by Adibi’s car, and hours of analysis by psychologists who mused about Adibi’s mental state around the time of the crash. Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for bowl over 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bowl over.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bowl over was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near bowl over

Cite this Entry

“Bowl over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowl%20over. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

bowl over

verb
1
: to hit and knock down while quickly moving past
2
: to greatly surprise or impress
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!