Bowled vs bold

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Grammarist

Bowled and bold are two words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings. They are homophones. We will look at the meanings of the words bowled and bold, where the words come from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Bowled is the past tense of the verb bowl which may mean 1.) to roll the ball toward the pins in a game of bowling 2.) to propel the ball toward the batsman in a game of cricket 3.) in British English, to move rapidly in a certain direction. The word bowl is derived from the fifteenth century word bowl which meant a wooden ball. The oldest bowling green in continuous use is the Old Bowling Green of the Southhampton Bowling Club in England, built in 1299.

Bold means 1.) brave, fearless, willing to take a risk 2.) more impudent, not shy, distinct 3.) having a strong or distinct appearance. Bold is an adjective, the comparative form is bolder, the superlative form is boldest. Bold comes from the Old English words beald and bald, meaning bold, brave, confident, strong.

Examples

“I was actually thinking of bowling him two in a row and bowling him out because he bowled a great over and got the wicket of Pandya,” Morgan said after their thrilling five-run win over India at Eden Gardens on Sunday night in the third and final ODI. (The Times of India)

But Rhea bowled Walker Valley (in the semifinals) before us, and they were just on fire. (The Daily Post-Athenian)

My hope is that my fellow Republican legislators be both bold and wise with this tremendous opportunity and the responsibility that accompanies it. (The Des Moines Register)

Like the previously released Yeezy Boost 350 v2s, the “core black/core white” color way features a primeknit upper construction, bold stripe from toe to heel, “SPLY-350” branding, matching laces and a partially translucent rubber sole. (The International Business Times)