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 Manager Chi Ngo says an average of 500 bowls leave the kitchen a day, and the least busy times are 10 a.m., when the doors open, and between 3 and 6 p.m. Like wine in the glass, pho changes flavor in the bowl over time. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 26 June 2024 To warm, remove the bowl from your mixture and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water to gently warm the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk during this time. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2024 The strike also bowled over dozens more cattle gathered around the trailer waiting to eat, Crocket said. Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY, 29 May 2024 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 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 7 Jul. 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!