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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The lone bright spots were when Pacioretty bowled over Mavrik Bourque eight minutes in and when Tavares won a key puck battle that led to the empty-netter. Kevin Papetti, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024 To assemble the bowls, place ¼ cup cooked quinoa in each bowl, then divide roasted vegetables, chickpeas and edamame evenly into each bowl over the quinoa. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 26 Oct. 2024 The strike also bowled over around 100 head of cattle that had bunched around the trailer loaded with hay, said Crocket. Jesse Bedayn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024 Having said that, Ray auditioned for the role, and I was just absolutely bowled over by his audition. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bowl over 

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 28 Dec. 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!