plural byes
ˈbīz 
: the position of a participant in a tournament who advances to the next round without playing
drew a first-round bye
—used as a shortened form of goodbye to express farewell
When he finally spoke, though, and said, "Bye, I'll call you," instead of disappointment she had felt an enormous rush of relief—a feeling, she thinks now, of things falling back into place.—
Ann Packer
Ann PackerThe stag lowered his head and raised it again. He blew out a frosty puff of air, then leaped away, vanishing into the mist. "Bye," Annie said wistfully.—Mary Pope Osborne
Mary Pope Osborne"Bye, Mom! Bye, Auggie!" I kissed them both quickly and headed toward the door.—R. J. Palacio
R. J. PalacioExamples of bye in a Sentence
Noun
She got a bye into the second round of the tennis tournament.
Recent Examples on the Web
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
And there are no more bye weeks remaining, which means 16 games apiece in Weeks 15, 16, 17 and 18.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025
And as the San Francisco 49ers return from their bye week, they should be refreshed and focused on a strong finish that will keep them in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bye
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Noun
The team got a bye to the Round of 16 and will play at Nashville SC or Atletico Ottawa on March 11 in the first leg and return to Chase Stadium for the second leg March 18.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
And there are no more bye weeks remaining, which means 16 games apiece in Weeks 15, 16, 17 and 18.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Interjection
The 49ers came off their bye week to host the struggling Tennessee Titans — owners of the NFL’s worst record — and handled business while in the throes of a crowded playoff race in the NFC.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025
And as the San Francisco 49ers return from their bye week, they should be refreshed and focused on a strong finish that will keep them in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bye
Cite this Entry
“Bye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bye. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.
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