keel over

verb

keeled over; keeling over; keels over
Synonyms of keel overnext
informal
: to fall down suddenly
He just keeled over and died from a heart attack.
I almost keeled over with/in laughter.

Examples of keel over in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Your prized gladiolus keeled over at high noon. Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025 But if the old system was slanted by strategic interests, the new one has keeled over in pursuit of them. Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026 One of ours, a beautiful Polish hen, just keeled over for no discernible reason. Sid Evans, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026 In the episode's opening scene, Alice keeled over on the organ keys, dead-eyed, with her tongue hanging out. Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for keel over

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Keel over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keel%20over. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

keel over

verb
: to fall suddenly (as in a faint)

More from Merriam-Webster on keel over

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!