bowl over

verb

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

   he was bowled over by our gift

2. to knock (a person or thing) down; cause to fall over

Idioms and Phrases

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

As a younger actor, I would've been bowled over by the fan reaction, for better and worse.

From Salon

She said she was bowled over by the emergency response.

From Los Angeles Times

I have previously been bowled over by Deaf West’s ability to find new expressive life in familiar musicals.

From Los Angeles Times

The buyer, Lincoln artist David Taylor, said he had been "bowled over" by the artwork while browsing a sale at a regional auction house.

From BBC

The strike also bowled over around 100 head of cattle that had bunched around the trailer loaded with hay, said Crocket.

From Seattle Times