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
In his first season, Indiana went 11-2 and bowed out in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
—
Devon Henderson, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
When his partner bowed out, Levin joined the Navy at age 21.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
The NBCUniversal parent bowed out, but Paramount went over the heads of Warner’s board directly to shareholders with a hostile offer that WBD formally rejected.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Dec. 2025
That year, the Saints won the division but bowed out to division rival Tampa Bay and quarterback Tom Brady in the divisional round.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2025
When the Justice Department bowed out, Navarro sought to force its hand to explain itself.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
Adams, a Democrat, dropped his independent campaign in late September after having previously bowed out of the Democratic primary, which Mamdani won.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
And Campbell, who bowed out of the sixth installment, is back as well as the screenplay focuses on the story of Sidney Prescott.
—Kelli Skye Fadroski, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Reacher star Alan Ritchson was originally attached to opposite Midthunder but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Devon Henderson, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
When his partner bowed out, Levin joined the Navy at age 21.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
The NBCUniversal parent bowed out, but Paramount went over the heads of Warner’s board directly to shareholders with a hostile offer that WBD formally rejected.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Dec. 2025
That year, the Saints won the division but bowed out to division rival Tampa Bay and quarterback Tom Brady in the divisional round.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2025
When the Justice Department bowed out, Navarro sought to force its hand to explain itself.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
Adams, a Democrat, dropped his independent campaign in late September after having previously bowed out of the Democratic primary, which Mamdani won.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
And Campbell, who bowed out of the sixth installment, is back as well as the screenplay focuses on the story of Sidney Prescott.
—Kelli Skye Fadroski, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Reacher star Alan Ritchson was originally attached to opposite Midthunder but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowed out
Verb
-
Antoine’s trees were eventually felled after the plantation changed hands multiple times after the death of enslaver Roman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
-
For every tree felled in the development of the hotel, two saplings were planted, and what's more, for every day that a guest decides to forgo housekeeping, a new tree will be planted (there's a nifty switch in your room so staff know).—
Grainne McBride,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The head of a medical watchdog group unleashed on Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) after a nurse at the school's hospital lost her job over TikTok videos that went viral for all the wrong reasons.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The Italians fought and lost to Robert Moses’s wrecking whims; Puerto Ricans who could fled to Jersey for the privilege of a backyard.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pass protection faltered, the run game stalled and Love couldn’t find a rhythm through the air as Green Bay welcomed Chicago back into the game and the Bears once again took advantage to end their archrival’s season in stunning fashion.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Traffic in restaurants faltered, as budget-conscious customers ate out less often and spent less.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bowed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowed%20out. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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