keel over

verb

1. to turn upside down; capsize

2. informal,  (intr) to collapse suddenly

Idioms and Phrases

Collapse, as if in a faint; also, faint. For example, When she heard the awful news, she keeled over. This term alludes to a vessel rolling on its keel and capsizing. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Both men were overcome with emotion during the ceremony, in tears, and Rinderknech keeled over and had to be helped into a chair.

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It’s the humidity, which has spiked to over 80%, that has them feeling ready to keel over between sets.

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“I feel fine; I’ll probably keel over after I hang up the phone,” he joked.

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When she was 13 years old, Ms Thomas said she remembered "keeling over in agony" at the back of the classroom.

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"When I'm older, when the body's keeled over a bit, I expect I'll pick up where I left off," he said.

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Related Words

• pass out