wash over

phrasal verb

washed over; washing over; washes over

: to affect or be felt by (someone) thoroughly and deeply

I felt relief washing over me.

Just close your eyes and let the music wash over you.

: to appear on (a person's face) suddenly

A look of surprise washed over his face.

Examples of wash over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Michigan may be a blueprint for Democrats looking to turn the red tide that’s washed over North Carolina’s presidential election results for years and limit Republican control in Raleigh, the midwestern state’s governor says. —

Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2024 These bombshells washed over the country, in part, because the arbiters of national political discourse were ... —

Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 June 2024 Daniel Pullen/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images North Carolina's coast is almost entirely made up of narrow, low-lying barrier islands that are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges and to being washed over from both the bay and the sea as the planet warms. —

CBS News, 29 May 2024 Still, a painful wave of hope washed over the families. —

Matthieu Aikins Bryan Denton, New York Times, 22 May 2024 There’s rarely been such an opportune moment to let all the beauty of the universe wash over us as beautiful Venus enters dreamy Pisces for her annual visit. —

Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2024 Chinese exports are washing over the continent, to the chagrin of political leaders and business executives. —

Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 8 May 2024 Two waves of thunderstorms are expected to wash over the Hoosier States beginning Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Central Indiana. —

John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 7 May 2024 In the five years since the FTC brought its case, a wave of romance scams has washed over the nation, with American victims losing more than $1 billion to overseas criminals in 2023 — an amount that is likely much larger because so many cases go unreported, law enforcement officials said. —

Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wash over.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.