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
Yang played a Delta One Lounge employee working his last shift in a parallel to his own final bow out of the show.
—
Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Whatever the scenario, bowing out graciously (whether as the host or the guest) can ensure the visit ends on a positive note.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2025
When the Justice Department bowed out, Navarro sought to force its hand to explain itself.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
As of December 11, five countries have bowed out from competing in next year’s contest after the EBU allowed Israel to continue to participate.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Whatever the scenario, bowing out graciously (whether as the host or the guest) can ensure the visit ends on a positive note.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2025
When the Justice Department bowed out, Navarro sought to force its hand to explain itself.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
As of December 11, five countries have bowed out from competing in next year’s contest after the EBU allowed Israel to continue to participate.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow out
Verb
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The United States lost around 57,000 troops in the Korean War and 47,000 during the Vietnam War.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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In Maye's case, getting there in just his second season, the notion of going from 4-13 to Super Bowl participant reminds us that the door is open next year, even for clubs with losing records in 2025.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The cold air is then expected to stay in place through the beginning of February, ensuring that whatever snow falls this weekend will stay on the ground for a while.—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Only one other player has been ever elected by the writers with 1,500 or fewer hits — Roy Campanella (1,422) in 1969 — and that total falls far short of the average career hit mark for all Hall of Fame batters, which is 2,330.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow%20out. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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