wash over

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle over

Usefulness

Meanings

1

Sweep across as a wave does

Why “over”? Something goes over another thing. It can hide it, protect it, or cover its surface.

A wave of relief washed over me.
A wave of relief swept across my whole body and mind.
Calm washed over her after the call.
Calm swept through her after the call.

Don't confuse with

wash overwash down

Wash over means sweep across as a wave does. Wash down means help swallow food by drinking liquid.

Test yourself

A wave of relief washed over me. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

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