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.
Boston swept them — then collapsed twice with 20-point leads and bowed out in six. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025 This season, Madrid, while still elite, have at times shown fragility over firepower – especially after bowing out in Europe 5-1 on aggregate to Arsenal in the semifinal. Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 13 May 2025 LeBron James was set to serve as honorary chairman but bowed out of the event due to a knee injury. Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025 Weeks later, Biden bowed out and Harris was tapped as the new candidate. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 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 23 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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