as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
she was bowled over to learn that she had a long-lost sister
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bowl over
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Hawks marched up the field in just over two minutes, as senior running back Kyle Celestin bowled over a tackler on his way to the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown rush.
—
Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
He, too, was bowled over by the film's tear-jerking finale.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
But [The Pitt] is really a show that, once people caught on to it, they were bowled over by it and everything about it.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
She was bowled over when a person came in holding 10 boxes of diapers and a bunch of wipes to drop off.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bowl over
Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
He, too, was bowled over by the film's tear-jerking finale.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
But [The Pitt] is really a show that, once people caught on to it, they were bowled over by it and everything about it.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
She was bowled over when a person came in holding 10 boxes of diapers and a bunch of wipes to drop off.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bowl over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowl over
Verb
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Han isn’t surprised that global firms are now embracing Chinese robotaxis.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
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The tight race has surprised some in the traditionally blue state, which has had a Democratic governor for the past eight years and a legislature controlled by Democrats for even longer.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What amazes her is how someone chose to save these items and hang on to them for future generations.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
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This isn’t the first time a dog has amazed the internet with spinal walking.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Elkins was stunned by how quickly the video gained traction.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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On November 3, Paddington’s press tour brought him to the BBC, where journalist David Sillito was stunned into silence after seeing the bear in the flesh fur.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What really shocked me was not that [Garland] was methodical and careful and cautious.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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Then, everybody started to complain about it, shocking that everyone's complaining about something that was set up.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His ability to perceive her internal struggles startled the standup.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
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The boy looked up mid-sob, startled.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In her work, Warner has dispelled myths such as the one that indigenous people, astonished by modern technologies, believed that cameras stole their souls.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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He was astonished and renewed by that quiet.—
Stephen Trimble,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bowl over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowl%20over. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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