as in fell
to undergo defeat
quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
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Recent Examples of bowed out
Only one candidate — former Assemblymember Ian Calderon — bowed out as a result of the letter.
—
Grace Hase, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Although the Matildas bowed out to England in the semi-finals at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, co-hosting the tournament with New Zealand had a transformative effect on women’s soccer across the country.
—Michael Bailey, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Shortly before Netflix publicly bowed out, champagne was rolled into the executive suite at Paramount’s Melrose lot.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
The sinkhole didn’t appear to be connected to any public utilities, so the organization bowed out, Krul said.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
Austin Beutner bowed out of the race due to the death of his 22-year-old daughter.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Savannah Guthrie, who has bowed out of hosting NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage in light of the disappearance, spoke directly to her mother in the video.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Walz bowed out of his reelection race earlier this month.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
When his partner bowed out, Levin joined the Navy at age 21.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Grace Hase, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Although the Matildas bowed out to England in the semi-finals at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, co-hosting the tournament with New Zealand had a transformative effect on women’s soccer across the country.
—Michael Bailey, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Shortly before Netflix publicly bowed out, champagne was rolled into the executive suite at Paramount’s Melrose lot.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
The sinkhole didn’t appear to be connected to any public utilities, so the organization bowed out, Krul said.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
Austin Beutner bowed out of the race due to the death of his 22-year-old daughter.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Savannah Guthrie, who has bowed out of hosting NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage in light of the disappearance, spoke directly to her mother in the video.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Walz bowed out of his reelection race earlier this month.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
When his partner bowed out, Levin joined the Navy at age 21.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowed out
Verb
-
Apartment buildings were felled by air strikes, and smoke billowed from the blasts; the buzz of Israeli drones filled the air.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
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Too many people, particularly those in my age group, have been felled by a cold that morphed into pneumonia, or a UTI that landed them in the hospital, or a simple stumble on a floor mat that resulted in surgery and months of physical therapy.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tottenham Hotspur have lost six games in a row for the first time in their 144-year history.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Timberwolves have lost three in a row after winning five straight.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But UConn faltered in the second half, surrendering a 20-4 run and at one point going nearly eight minutes between field goals.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Aussie actor has had quite the year, with acclaimed performances in films such as Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights—and amidst the many press tours and busy award season events, his personal style has never faltered.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bowed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowed%20out. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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