as in to lose
to undergo defeat
quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
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Recent Examples of bow out
Scott showed off the dog's unique stature—short and long, with front paws that bow out.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
This year was an extreme example of two top teams bowing out of the tournament before the Super Regionals and five other hosts failing to advance, as well.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
The Honda Civic Type R, the hot hatchback that is a standard-bearer for the segment, is bowing out of Europe.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
It’s expected that at least some of her rival Democrats would bow out rather than compete against her, including Porter, who in 2012 was appointed by then-attorney general Harris to be the state’s independent bank monitor in a multibillion-dollar nationwide mortgage settlement.
—Michael R. Blood, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
This year was an extreme example of two top teams bowing out of the tournament before the Super Regionals and five other hosts failing to advance, as well.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
The Honda Civic Type R, the hot hatchback that is a standard-bearer for the segment, is bowing out of Europe.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
It’s expected that at least some of her rival Democrats would bow out rather than compete against her, including Porter, who in 2012 was appointed by then-attorney general Harris to be the state’s independent bank monitor in a multibillion-dollar nationwide mortgage settlement.
—Michael R. Blood, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow out
Verb
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Los Angeles County, which stood to lose nearly $20 million in annual federal HIV prevention funding, was looking at terminating contracts with 39 providers.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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According to the Office of Inspector General, more than 13,000 widows and widowers collectively have lost $130 million in Social Security benefits because of mistakes in claiming spousal benefits.—
John C. Goodman,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Monthly spending has also fallen by almost $20 year-over-year.—
Jon Kirchner,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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However, that strategy could fall flat if Cuomo keeps his campaign alive.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow%20out. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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