Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bowl a googly

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.58 in modern English

Syllables
bowl a -goo-gly
IPA
21
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

to surprise (someone); to introduce (to someone) something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.

British usage; Transitive verb

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bowl, googly.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From the cricket term.

Usage

Inflected Forms

bowls a googly (present, singular) bowling a googly (participle, present) bowled a googly (participle, past) bowled a googly (past)

Phrases

throw for a loop throw somebody a curve

Frequently Paired Words

throw for a loop throw somebody a curve curveball

Synonyms

catch unawares catch off guard wrong-foot

Questions

What does bowl a googly mean?
to surprise (someone); to introduce (to someone) something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
Where does bowl a googly come from?
From the cricket term.

How to pronounce bowl a googly

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bowl a googly”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bowl a googly”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “bowl a googly” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.