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
In fairness, two of the best Eastern Conference teams bowed out in the postseason before the Knicks got the chance to face them.
—
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 1 June 2026
The Wild bowed out of the playoffs with a 4-1 series loss to the Avalanche that to some felt closer.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
The latter staged frequent crossovers with the mothership series in its final years before bowing out in May 2024.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 May 2026
Family is the reason Brown is bowing out.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 1 June 2026
The Wild bowed out of the playoffs with a 4-1 series loss to the Avalanche that to some felt closer.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 May 2026
The latter staged frequent crossovers with the mothership series in its final years before bowing out in May 2024.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 May 2026
Family is the reason Brown is bowing out.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow out
Verb
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His co-anchor Lu Parker and longtime KTLA meteorologist Mark Kriski also lost their jobs that day.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
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Bussi won 31 of 39 starts in the regular season but lost some steam down the stretch, leading Brind’Amour to go with Andersen, a veteran, in Game 1 of the first round.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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For the Fever, who entered the season as championship contenders, the first 10 games have fallen well short of expectations, as scrutiny continues to mount on head coach Stephanie White.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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Migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands peaked in 2024 at nearly 47,000, but have fallen dramatically, with just over 2,000 people landing there in the first four months of 2026.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow%20out. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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