as in amazes
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 bowls over
The order in which those balls were plucked out of those bowls over the next few minutes would determine the World Cup matchups in June–and the psychological state of so many soccer fans.
—
Sean Gregory, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Sean Gregory, Time, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowls over
Verb
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This technology still amazes me.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
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What still amazes a man who has to be hard to impress is the Gunnison Tunnel.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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That finding surprises many people because modern entrepreneurship education often treats venture capital as the default path to growth.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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If a neighbor surprises you, name a need and set timing that respects your energy.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Laura Dern looks amazing in marabou feathers, Marissa Long stuns in sequins, and Chris Messina is also there.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
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Torch Lake in Michigan stuns with its clear turquoise water, glacial origins, and iconic summer sandbar scene.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Bubbles Didn’t Enter The Picture That Early In one of the moist unintentionally hilarious moments in the movie, Michael shocks his family by adopting a CGI baby chimpanzee named Bubbles sometime around 1979.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2026
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When harvested, the roots are cut, which shocks the plant and can delay root reestablishment for several weeks.—
Ryan Bearss,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The combination of flashing light and movement startles them.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
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If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jane Fonda rocks a pink suit at the 2026 GCAPP Rising Leaders Luncheon on June 5 in Sandy Springs, Ga.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
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While all of this inner turmoil rocks the rest of the Islanders, Aniya should be getting paid some kind of fee for her services as villa therapist.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Verb
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More than 42,000 of those pieces were found over just the past eight years of excavation, a pace that astonishes even the researchers leading the work.—
Ryan Brennan
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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His work astonishes and moves people far beyond the fashion bubble to this day.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bowls over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowls%20over. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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