bowing 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of bowingnext
as in nodding
bending downward or forward the bowing blossoms indicated that the petunia plant desperately needed water

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bowing

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of bow
1
as in succumbing
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) finally bowed to the judge's insistence that she change her outfit

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2
as in submitting
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit) bowed to the craving for fresh coffee

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bowing

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of bow
1
as in curving
to turn away from a straight line or course the river bows gently to the north before it reaches the sea

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2
as in bending
to cause to turn away from a straight line you'll have to gently bow the strip of wood in order to fit it in

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bowing
Verb
Also bowing is 20th Century Studios’ feature take on Daniel Kraus survival thriller novel Whalefall, with $11M-$12m domestic in 3,000 theaters, and about the same overseas for a $24M WW start on the high end. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 But these four features from Qatar are instead bowing separately as special screenings. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, is set to open the Beyond Fest genre festival in Los Angeles after bowing in Venice. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 Standing in a holding pen for inmates, wearing orange jail attire, Holdo looked back at Savery almost admiringly, at times bowing his head. — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Van Os said studies have shown cows respond to current weather conditions by facing away from the direction rain is blowing and bowing their heads. — Lance Schulteis, jsonline.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, bowing to mounting pressure after tens of thousands of students and supporters took to the streets demanding his removal and sweeping reforms to India’s examination system. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 Winds gusted up to 80 miles per hour, bowing palm trees and knocking down power lines that sparked the fires. — Angus Chen, STAT, 22 July 2026 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired his commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on Tuesday, bowing to pressure after the removal of popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov sparked the fiercest leadership crisis of his presidency. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing
  1. nodding
  2. succumbing
  3. submitting
  4. curving
  5. bending
  6. weeping
  7. conceding
  8. arching
Adjective
  • James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.
    — Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021
Definition of nodding
Verb
  • These rosy reveries gradually darken as Wilde remembers succumbing to hedonism, deceit, debt, and disgrace.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • At the time, despite receiving rave reviews, the Scottish actor was succumbing to complications from AIDS.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of succumbing
Verb
  • The departmen and encouraged the public to continue submitting legitimate information through its unsolved murders website.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • By submitting unsolicited plans, the developers could potentially bypass the auction process, but the developer who gets the deal would still have to negotiate with Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of submitting
Verb
  • The space seamlessly flows into a dining area and a custom kitchen outfitted with curving cabinetry, stainless steel shelving, Caesarstone countertops, a contoured island, and a breakfast nook.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Designed by Behar Font & Partners, the building’s curving silhouette and glass façade evoke the slender form of a tulip blossom.
    — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of curving
Verb
  • When the Americans failed to pressure Guijarro some 25 yards out, the Spanish captain ripped a bending effort that nestled in goalkeeper Claudia Dickey’s netting.
    — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026
  • With Pharrell Williams steering the production ship, the Athens, Georgia native wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to create his most cohesive, genre-bending body of work to date.
    — Mikey Fresh, VIBE.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bending
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    — David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Verb
  • The Roos entered the weekend having scored 24 goals this year, while conceding just 10 in 11 games.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The administration’s top economic officials are now conceding that favorable aggregate indicators are no easy answer to public anxiety.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of conceding
Verb
  • Terracotta tiles are at his feet; behind him is a gnarled pine tree, arching toward the sea.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Its initial trajectory after stage separation will put the spacecraft on the same course as previous flights, arching toward a reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of arching

Browse Nearby Words

bowie knifes
bowing
bowing out
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Cite this Entry

“Bowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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