as in losing
to undergo defeat
quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
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Recent Examples of bowing out
The Traitors has cemented its status as the biggest draw on British television, bowing out with a record audience for a non-celebrity version of the BBC show.
—
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2026
Selecting a location like the Hamptons in peak season might mean some guests will need to pay a high premium to attend a full wedding weekend and may end up bowing out of the festivities.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
This begs the question as to whether Wrexham might actually be better served bowing out in the fourth round, even if defeat at home to Ipswich on February 14 wouldn’t exactly be ideal preparation for the following weekend when the two teams meet again in the league.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Whatever the scenario, bowing out graciously (whether as the host or the guest) can ensure the visit ends on a positive note.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2025
Wallen bowing out of contention might have made that a partial fait accompli, yet Megan Moroney, Ella Langley and Zach Top — all of whom have a major look going into this month’s CMA Awards — were all considered major contenders for the best new artist category.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
In the end, the age of supersonic passenger travel never materialized, with only 12 Concordes and two Tupolev Tu-144s entering regular passenger service, and the Tupolevs bowing out early after a string of technical issues.
—David Szondy
october 28, New Atlas, 28 Oct. 2025
Microsoft has been slowly bowing out of the console wars by putting more of its previously Xbox-exclusive games on rival platforms; with the Gears of War franchise being a pillar of Xbox’s brand identity, Reloaded’s serves a slick entry point to introducing the series to a whole new ecosystem.
—George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
This will be the first time these teams have met competitively, with Benfica out to improve after bowing out of last season's tournament in the last 16.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2026
Selecting a location like the Hamptons in peak season might mean some guests will need to pay a high premium to attend a full wedding weekend and may end up bowing out of the festivities.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
This begs the question as to whether Wrexham might actually be better served bowing out in the fourth round, even if defeat at home to Ipswich on February 14 wouldn’t exactly be ideal preparation for the following weekend when the two teams meet again in the league.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Whatever the scenario, bowing out graciously (whether as the host or the guest) can ensure the visit ends on a positive note.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2025
Wallen bowing out of contention might have made that a partial fait accompli, yet Megan Moroney, Ella Langley and Zach Top — all of whom have a major look going into this month’s CMA Awards — were all considered major contenders for the best new artist category.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
In the end, the age of supersonic passenger travel never materialized, with only 12 Concordes and two Tupolev Tu-144s entering regular passenger service, and the Tupolevs bowing out early after a string of technical issues.
—David Szondy
october 28, New Atlas, 28 Oct. 2025
Microsoft has been slowly bowing out of the console wars by putting more of its previously Xbox-exclusive games on rival platforms; with the Gears of War franchise being a pillar of Xbox’s brand identity, Reloaded’s serves a slick entry point to introducing the series to a whole new ecosystem.
—George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
This will be the first time these teams have met competitively, with Benfica out to improve after bowing out of last season's tournament in the last 16.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out
Verb
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Wynn ended up getting an open look at the basket on a 3-point attempt from the wing, but the shot bounced off the rim with two seconds left and the Tritons (13-6, 8-1) celebrated the victory after losing their first conference game on Thursday night against visiting UC Davis.—
Dan Arritt,
Oc Register,
25 Jan. 2026
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The subscription economy is still growing, but the mechanics that once powered that growth are losing effectiveness.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But absent any concerning signs that the labor market is falling a cliff, the Fed will also likely turn to inflation data for the cue on when to lower rates again.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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But their story appears to be falling apart.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Darnold has also found some big-game redemption after faltering for the Minnesota Vikings late in the season last year.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Jan. 2026
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And his retribution campaign—faltering to this point, to be sure—targeted the chairman of the Federal Reserve, who is now the subject of a Justice Department investigation.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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