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 Meanwhile, as Vice President Kamala Harris receives additional scrutiny amid the talk about whether Biden should bow out, the poll found that her favorability rating is similar to his — but the share of Americans who have an unfavorable opinion of her is slightly lower. Darlene Superville, TIME, 17 July 2024 According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Berry bowed out of the show due to a scheduling conflict. Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 July 2024 When Romney lost the 2012 election to Barack Obama and an open presidential primary presented itself in 2016, Rubio was ready to seize the opportunity – campaigning hard for the Republican nomination before ultimately bowing out to Donald Trump. Brianne Pfannenstiel, USA TODAY, 15 July 2024 So far, just one of the Connecticut Congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. James Himes, D-4, has urged Biden to bow out, praising his legacy but casting doubt on his chances of fending off Trump in November. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bow out 

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

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near bow out

Cite this Entry

“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bow%20out. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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