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
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Recent Examples of bowl over
Spread vegetables onto the hot sheet: Once the oven has preheated, carefully spread vegetables evenly over hot baking sheet, using a rubber spatula and scraping remaining olive oil and seasonings from bowl over vegetables.
—
Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
But there was one famous A-lister who wasn't necessarily bowled over by her charms: Oscar winner Morgan Freeman.
—Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 20 Oct. 2024
In the end, Grassi was bowled over by Patinkin's dedication to the story and his performance.
—Madeleine Janz, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
The lone bright spots were when Pacioretty bowled over Mavrik Bourque eight minutes in and when Tavares won a key puck battle that led to the empty-netter.
—Kevin Papetti, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bowl over 
Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
But there was one famous A-lister who wasn't necessarily bowled over by her charms: Oscar winner Morgan Freeman.
—Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 20 Oct. 2024
In the end, Grassi was bowled over by Patinkin's dedication to the story and his performance.
—Madeleine Janz, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
The lone bright spots were when Pacioretty bowled over Mavrik Bourque eight minutes in and when Tavares won a key puck battle that led to the empty-netter.
—Kevin Papetti, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bowl over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowl over
Verb
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In a rare appearance, The Weeknd performed with Playboi Carti, leaving fans in awe, while Bruno Mars surprised the audience during the Los Angeles tribute segment.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
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Skip out of work early, surprise your sweetheart with a gift or plan more time for date nights.—
Kyle Thomas,
People.com,
2 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Costco continues to amaze both with price and with entertainment and all my Costco’s are a blast to shop at.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2025
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Instead, the boy was creating short films using action figures, adding voice-over narration, and displaying a level of creativity that amazed his mother.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Legal Challenges Image Legal scholars and immigration advocates said on Tuesday that they were stunned by the breadth of the order.—
Michael D. Shear,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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Director Mohammad Rasoulof tracks social and moral collapse with the kind of unnerving calm and visual precision that made the Iranian New Wave so striking when Abbas Kiarostami’s Through the Olive Trees and Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s A Moment of Innocence first stunned the film world in the 1990s.—
Armond White,
National Review,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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When people did see her, they were shocked by her yellow skin and skeletal appearance, prosecutors said, WA Today reports.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
31 Jan. 2025
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Tyrese Haliburton Honestly, I'll be shocked if Haliburton DOESN'T enter the event.—
Justin L. Mack,
Axios,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The cat sniffs the iguana's tail and appears to bite it, startling the iguana.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA TODAY,
29 Jan. 2025
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Immediately, Morgan's appearance startled the investigators.—
Nikki Battiste,
CBS News,
14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Celebrities such as Tracee Ellis Ross, Lisa Rinna, and Nara Smith all leaned into the designer’s signature cartoony silhouettes, bravely rocking exaggerated coats and extra-clunky shoes with pride.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
6 Feb. 2025
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Thompson-Boling Arena, which holds over 21,000 fans, should be rocking for this weeknight conference battle.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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As a researcher in AI, I'm astonished by the massive volume of Chinese publications in top research journals and conferences in the field.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
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South Korea’s conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol — weakened after the liberal opposition retained control in an April election -– astonished the country by declaring martial law in a late-night announcement on Dec. 3.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Bowl over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowl%20over. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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