BOWED OUT Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

bowed out

verb

past tense of bow out

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 The announced exhibition tied to 2027's Met Gala—featuring the work of designer John Galliano—drew so much backlash that Galliano has bowed out. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 No Met honoree has ever bowed out before, nor has any pre-announced theme been canceled. — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026 Also complicating matters is that some voters already have cast absentee ballots for Democrats who have bowed out of the race but remain on the ballot. — Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 In 2014, when Democrats bowed out of the Senate race to clear the way for independent entrepreneur Greg Orman, Republican incumbent Pat Roberts won the race by more than 10 percentage points. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026 A day later, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who had bowed out on July 8, reentered the race. — Scott Bauer, Twin Cities, 29 July 2026 Variety understands Odom bowed out after the first act and was replaced by Manaia Glassey-Ohlson. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 24 July 2026 As for Lionel Messi, the legend failed to influence the game and bowed out of the tournament with a silver medal. — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 July 2026 Schwarber and Bryce Harper, who bowed out in the opening round, lingered on the field, their children running around them. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowed out

Verb

The goal came after Furuhashi got loose on a breakaway up the middle of the pitch, only to be felled by New England’s Will Sands in the center of the box, leaving referee Drew Fischer with an easy penalty call.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Mosaic terrazzo floors with a palm motif are nods to both Tiberius’s villas here and the Ethiopian palm that once stood like an icon outside the hotel, which was felled by a storm in the 1960s.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of fell

Verb

Wednesday’s ugly loss, in which Yoshinobu Yamamoto faltered after a strong start and the Dodgers crumbled late despite taking a 3-0 first-inning lead, was the latest example.

— Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
In the rest of the state, Graham prevailed — including in the Charleston area, where former governor and congressman Mark Sanford endorsed Norman after his own Senate campaign faltered.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of faltered

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bowed

bowed out

bowed (to)

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“Bowed out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowed%20out. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bowed out

verb

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