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, 30 Aug. 2025
How teams stack up in the race for automatic bids, first-round byes and staying on the right side of the bubble.
—Austin Mock, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
After assembling what appeared to be one of the best rosters in history ahead of this season, the Dodgers now have just a few weeks to separate themselves from the division rival and seize a top playoff spot, or risk losing home field advantage and a first-round bye for the playoffs.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bye
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Noun
Both finalists earn berths in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, and the winner gets a bye into the Round of 16.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
How teams stack up in the race for automatic bids, first-round byes and staying on the right side of the bubble.
—Austin Mock, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Interjection
The Chargers’ 2025 slate also includes a Week 12 bye that splits a heavy AFC run.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
After assembling what appeared to be one of the best rosters in history ahead of this season, the Dodgers now have just a few weeks to separate themselves from the division rival and seize a top playoff spot, or risk losing home field advantage and a first-round bye for the playoffs.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 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 7 Sep. 2025.
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