bow 1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈbau̇ How to pronounce bow (audio)
Definition of bownext
1
as in to succumb
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) finally bowed to the judge's insistence that she change her outfit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to submit
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit) bowed to the craving for fresh coffee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bow

2 of 3

verb (2)

ˈbō How to pronounce bow (audio)
1
as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course the river bows gently to the north before it reaches the sea

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bend
to cause to turn away from a straight line you'll have to gently bow the strip of wood in order to fit it in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bow

3 of 3

noun

ˈbō How to pronounce bow (audio)
as in bend
something that curves or is curved her full lips form a pair of perfect bows

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bow
Verb
The first, at least, is about to be answered, with Artificial set to bow Monday night at the New York Film Festival. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 The event, meant to bow in early December, historically has shelled out millions to lure top talent like Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michelle Williams and Halle Berry. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
Finally patrolman Williams, during a smooth sea, rushed down the beach and with a hand-line swung a line over her bow. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 The singer, who is going mononomously as Miley for this era, bows in the top spot with 61,000 equivalent album units. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow
  1. succumb
  2. submit
  3. curve
  4. bend
  5. curvature
  6. concede
  7. surrender
  8. arch
Verb
  • Rejecting Question Three would send a powerful signal that not every American is ready to succumb to cynicism and propagate the worst parts of our political culture.
    — Colin Pascal, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Moore succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital later in the morning.
    — Jessie DiMartino, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of succumb
Verb
  • There are currently around 1,000 new Pip claims submitted every day in the UK; about 34% are successful.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Holtec International has submitted its Preliminary Safety Analysis Report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of submit
Verb
  • That’s apt because the technological stroke that’s allowed Jamestown to revive One Times Square’s interiors is the evolution of digital screens that can slink along curving walls and respond to touch.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s central plaza, which spreads out beneath the building’s curved, hovering form, was always meant to be a generous civic space.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of curve
Verb
  • Step around, and potentially inside, awe-inspiring vehicles from the film, or come face-to-face with the Bene Gesserit, a group of priestesses who possess, among other things, the ability to bend the will of others.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • For the flexibility assessment, the app guides you through various movements, such as raising your arms and bending your legs.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of bend
Noun
  • An ant living deep inside the snow globe can’t easily detect any curvature, and therefore can’t tell the difference between anti-de Sitter and de Sitter space.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
  • And if the footprint looks like a full foot with no dry spots in the middle and no inward curvature, the diagnosis is usually flat feet.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of curvature
Verb
  • Children today are growing up around AI, robots and devices that once belonged to science fiction, and Yoshida concedes that reality has, in some ways, caught up with Doraemon’s gadgets.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The network apologized; Rather defended the report initially but conceded after several weeks that the materials should not have been used.
    — Walter Podrazik, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of concede
Verb
  • Lefty Tanner Scott, whom Roberts plans to use in a fireman role, surrendered a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies in the ninth.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • As part of the plea deal this week, Evans agreed to surrender his law enforcement officer license, court records show.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrender
Verb
  • Terracotta tiles are at his feet; behind him is a gnarled pine tree, arching toward the sea.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Its initial trajectory after stage separation will put the spacecraft on the same course as previous flights, arching toward a reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of arch

Phrases Containing bow

Browse Nearby Words

bovine
bow
bowdlerization
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bow

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All