wash over

phrasal verb

washed over; washing over; washes over

1

: to affect or be felt by (someone) thoroughly and deeply

I felt relief washing over me.

Just close your eyes and let the music wash over you.

2

: to appear on (a person's face) suddenly

A look of surprise washed over his face.

Examples of wash over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Within days, the term quiet luxury was everywhere, washing over the industry at large like a beige tsunami. —Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 30 Apr. 2025

Across the collection are a mix of brooches and pins: sea turtles with diamonds; a starfish with rubies, with each point curved as if the ocean is washing over it, a static piece with a trompe-l’oeil nod to movement. —Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 24 Apr. 2025

Rocks break down when rain and water wash over them. —Simmone Shah, Time, 23 Apr. 2025

Seconds later, a wave of water washes over the woman as the boat rocks up and down, leaving her completely drenched. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for wash over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover