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
Norcross, the buyer who bid on the Gramercy studio, decided to bow out instead of upping her offer.
—
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 7 Apr. 2025
The appearance marks the first sighting of Ford since the Shrinking actor bowed out of hosting the 97th Academy Awards due to illness.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Norcross, the buyer who bid on the Gramercy studio, decided to bow out instead of upping her offer.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 7 Apr. 2025
Brit, clocking the frost, bows out early.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 7 Apr. 2025
The appearance marks the first sighting of Ford since the Shrinking actor bowed out of hosting the 97th Academy Awards due to illness.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Norcross, the buyer who bid on the Gramercy studio, decided to bow out instead of upping her offer.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 7 Apr. 2025
Brit, clocking the frost, bows out early.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow out
Verb
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Air travel experiences: 16 hours, 10 time zones, no regrets: How to fly ultra-long-haul without losing your mind Faltering demand One airline executive said carriers could have taken the tariffs in stride if travel demand was booming.—
Rajesh Kumar Singh,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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As the survivors work to rebuild the town, Ellie struggles with losing her father figure.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rising bond yields Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds typically fall – and their prices rise - as investors flee stocks for the safe haven of Treasuries during economic slowdowns.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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The basic premise of DeSantis’s primary candidacy—that Republicans wanted Trumpism without Trump—fell apart once the former president started hoovering up media attention and gained a wide lead in the polls.—
Drew Nelles,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow%20out. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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