Synonyms of bow out

bow out

verb

as in to lose

to undergo defeat

quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lose
• fall
• throw
• falter
• take the count
• strike out
• tank
• fail
• miss
• crack (up)
• wash out
• collapse
• forfeit
• founder
• fold
• flop
• bomb
• flunk

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• win
• triumph
• prevail
• succeed
• conquer
• flourish
• thrive
• prosper

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bow out

Trailing by 13 points in the fourth quarter, Kansas’ alumni men’s basketball team looked as if it was destined to drop its second game in two nights to Kansas State and bow out of the TBT mighty early. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Vingegaard is extremely unlikely to bow out like Chris Froome, who confirmed his retirement two days before the start of the Tour, aged 41, after struggling at Israel-Premier Tech for the past five years. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 July 2026

As for Lionel Messi, the legend failed to influence the game and bowed out of the tournament with a silver medal. — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 July 2026

He was brought in to get England over the line in this type of situation, but his negative tactics contributed to the team bowing out yet again. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026