as in nodding
bending downward or forward
the bowing blossoms indicated that the petunia plant desperately needed water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in submitting
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)
bowed to the craving for fresh coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bowing
Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Young Americans, often skeptical of institutions at home, seem surprisingly comfortable with Japan’s dense web of social expectations, from bowing to sorting trash into multiple categories.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finalized an agreement with House Republicans on Tuesday to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein this month, bowing to the threat of a contempt of Congress vote against them.
—Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finalized an agreement with House Republicans Tuesday to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein this month, bowing to the threat of a contempt of Congress vote against them.
—Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
The company also has Citadel star Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ actioner The Bluff bowing on the Amazon platform next month.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
Heated Rivalry also makes a splash on the latest Top TV Songs list, bowing with three tunes in the top six.
—Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2026
Congress needs to stop bowing to the king and serve the people they were elected to represent.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
The company’s legacy and evolution will be retraced in an exhibition bowing in September to further mark the anniversary celebrations.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Grow a backbone, quit bowing down.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Young Americans, often skeptical of institutions at home, seem surprisingly comfortable with Japan’s dense web of social expectations, from bowing to sorting trash into multiple categories.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finalized an agreement with House Republicans on Tuesday to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein this month, bowing to the threat of a contempt of Congress vote against them.
—Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finalized an agreement with House Republicans Tuesday to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein this month, bowing to the threat of a contempt of Congress vote against them.
—Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
The company also has Citadel star Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ actioner The Bluff bowing on the Amazon platform next month.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
Heated Rivalry also makes a splash on the latest Top TV Songs list, bowing with three tunes in the top six.
—Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 23 Jan. 2026
Congress needs to stop bowing to the king and serve the people they were elected to represent.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
The company’s legacy and evolution will be retraced in an exhibition bowing in September to further mark the anniversary celebrations.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing
Adjective
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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
Adjective
-
The building with its bowed windows and a Queen Ann tower had already been around for nine years before its owner placed a classified ad in a July 1897 issue of The Kansas City Times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Nov. 2025
-
No racist stereotypes, no demeaning facial expressions, no bowed heads, and no broken bodies from the old Hollywood.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Bowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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