bow out

verb

bowed out; bowing out; bows out

intransitive verb

: retire, withdraw
also : lose
bowed out in the first round of the tournament

Examples of bow out in a Sentence

quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
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.
Reacher star Alan Ritchson was originally attached to opposite Midthunder but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 Jones filed to run for the Zone 4 board seat in 2020, but bowed out of the race prior to the election. Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2025 Despite a strong regular season and some analysts projecting another potential title push, the Lakers bowed out early in the playoffs, losing 4-1 in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 Max Joseph would eventually bow out and the show was cohosted by a rotating panel of personalities in 2018, but would ultimately be replaced by former beauty queen and television personality Kamie Crawford. Sumayya Tobah, Essence, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bow out

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bow out was in 1942

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bow%20out. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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