Synonyms

bowl over

British

verb

informal to surprise (a person) greatly, esp in a pleasant way; astound; amaze

he was bowled over by our gift
to knock (a person or thing) down; cause to fall over

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bowl over Idioms

Astonish, surprise greatly, overwhelm, as in I was simply bowled over by their wonderful performance. This term originated in cricket, where it means “to knock all the bails off the wicket.” [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

TikTok users were bowled over by the property, with one remarking, “OK, after seeing the house, she is right, $20 million is cheap for this.”

From MarketWatch

Judges said they were "bowled over by Southport in Bloom's passionate dedication", adding that its Botanic Gardens, opened in 1874, "made a lasting impression".

From BBC

The US locker room was not bowled over by DeChambeau, insiders say.

From BBC

Start by whisking a few yolks with some lemon juice in a bowl over gently simmering water — you want steam, not direct heat.

From Salon

He moved around 5cm closer to the stumps when bowling over the wicket and 8cm closer when bowling round the wicket compared to previous home Tests.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023