as in amazed
affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise
I was bowled over when the appraiser told me what the painting was worth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in surprised
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
she was bowled over to learn that she had a long-lost sister
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of bowled over
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
With a notably vivacious aroma and flavor, Heilala bowled over tasters with layered complexity.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
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
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
Verb
The Giants won with a fourth-round rookie running back, Cam Skattebo, who bowled over a historically dominant Eagles front for a career-high 98 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
With a notably vivacious aroma and flavor, Heilala bowled over tasters with layered complexity.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowled over
Adjective
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The viral video sparked thousands of comments from amazed, and skeptical, viewers.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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On the other side of the world in New Zealand, Ratu Mataira was amazed as a student at the Victoria University of Wellington when CFS leaders came to study his college’s superconductor magnet research.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The 36-year-old explained that her in-laws returned from a European trip and surprised her with an expensive designer bag at a recent family dinner.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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Africa did finally get its first semi-finalists in 2022, when Morocco surprised everyone to reach the final four.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The stunned silence after her answer kind of says it all.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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What has left me completely stunned is that Labubus are on sale, too—just not on Amazon.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the comments, readers were shocked the couple was even allowed to book in the first place.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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One agent who visited North Carolina with a top-200 high school recruit this spring was shocked how uninvolved the on-field coaches were during the visit.—
The Athletic Colleges staff,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Under Kidman's Practical Magic 2 post, fans in the comments expressed excitement about the forthcoming sequel to the witchy cult classic — which was based on the 1995 Alice Hoffman novel of the same name — while others seemed astonished that filming for the movie has already finished.—
Nigel Smith,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, The Pitt only has two wins so far, but Shawn Hatosy wins most astonished speech.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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First baseman Michael Toglia covered his head, too, and was startled when the ball landed a few feet from him.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
28 Sep. 2025
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Sleep may be disturbed by a pet's movements, and dogs may bite if startled.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bowled over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowled%20over. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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