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Definition 2024


bowl_over

bowl over

English

Verb

bowl over (third-person singular simple present bowls over, present participle bowled over, simple past and past participle bowling over)

  1. (idiomatic) To overwhelm; to cause to fall to the ground.
    • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot Chapter VIII
      This tribe lived largely upon the smaller animals which they bowled over with their stone hatchets after making a wide circle about their quarry and driving it so that it had to pass close to one of their number.
    • 2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC:
      The Celtic midfielder appeared to be bowled over by Milorad Pekovic but Italian referee Luca Banti waved play on.
  2. (idiomatic) To overwhelm with astonishment or wonder; to flabbergast

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