bow out

verb

bowed out; bowing out; bows out

intransitive verb

: retire, withdraw

also : lose

bowed out in the first round of the tournament

Synonyms of bow out

• lose
• fall

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

The Chicago Public League bowed out of the state playoffs by going 0-5 in Round 2. — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026

Boise-area restaurants are churning, with a longtime Eagle Italian spot bowing out of its space soon, and a Hawaiian chain planting its flag in Kuna. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 8 Nov. 2026

In August, Galliano bowed out of the Met Gala after his past remarks, including an antisemitic rant, became a cultural flashpoint. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026

In the team’s inaugural season, Golden State finished 23-21 and bowed out in the first round of the playoffs, the only time an expansion team has reached the postseason in its first year. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bow out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout