bowl over

verb

Definition of bowl overnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bowl over In a bowl over simmering water (aka double boiler), melt butter, chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 July 2026 The mixture is cooked in a double boiler (or in a stainless-steel bowl over a pot of simmering water) until thick, creating a custard-like consistency. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 15 July 2026 Place a medium heatproof bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 10 July 2026 So far, the league appears to be taking a slower path, rather than trying to bowl over players at the outset. — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bowl over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowl over
  1. surprise
  2. amaze
  3. stun
  4. shock
  5. startle
  6. astonish
Verb
  • Some Republicans aren’t surprised by the backseat role Musk has taken.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Viewers will be surprised by how many clues are in the first two episodes, Backo explains.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprise
Verb
  • Larry remarks, amazed all these years later by this odd before-they-were-stars encounter.
    — Blake J. Harris, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • What amazes me is there seems to be a wide swath of Michiganders who don’t seem to mind being lied to.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of amaze
Verb
  • View gallery - 7 images Chinese automotive giant BYD, now the world’s biggest electric vehicle (EV) maker, stunned this week’s Paris Motor Show with its grandest and most technologically impressive vehicle yet.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The man was arrested and sent to prison while Ali was in college, which left the actor stunned.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of stun
Verb
  • The couple had previously seen a single owl on an apartment windowsill a few days earlier and were shocked even then, Williams recalled.
    — Joseph B. Frederick, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • What shocked him was how unregulated—and unsophisticated—the rental market seemed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shock
Verb
  • The parents admit to some corporal punishment, but of a mild sort—the kind that might startle a child but which wouldn’t do bodily harm.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • However, startled by the activation of the security system, the suspect fled the scene without stealing any loot.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of startle
Verb
  • Regardless, attention is the tool by which artificial neural networks access and convey meaning, association, and context, often well enough to astonish us with their fluency.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Less than a month after astonishing the world with its solution to the long-standing Navier-Stokes problem, OpenAI has released 722 maths papers, proving or disproving problems across numerous fields from algebraic geometry to number theory.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of astonish

Browse Nearby Words

bowling over
bowl over
bowls
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Cite this Entry

“Bowl over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowl%20over. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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