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
Finishing last season with 91 points while meekly bowing out in the first round doesn’t help that perception.
—
The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 1 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
The 45-year-old Williams earlier exited in the first round of both singles – bowing out against Karolína Muchová in three sets – and mixed doubles.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Much of his focus has been on cost cutting, which has improved Intel’s outlook to return to profitability but raised concerns the chipmaker may be bowing out of the race for technological leadership.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
So much for bowing out with dignity.
—Robyn Bahr, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 1 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
The 45-year-old Williams earlier exited in the first round of both singles – bowing out against Karolína Muchová in three sets – and mixed doubles.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Much of his focus has been on cost cutting, which has improved Intel’s outlook to return to profitability but raised concerns the chipmaker may be bowing out of the race for technological leadership.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
So much for bowing out with dignity.
—Robyn Bahr, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out
Verb
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In her latest book, Strong Ground, Brown makes a compelling case that we’re not wired for this level of uncertainty, and risk losing focus on the core values of courageous and sustainable leadership.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
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Avoid puddles - Driving into puddles or low rainwater areas can lead to vehicles hydroplaning or losing control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The hope for gold-producing nations like Ghana is to responsibly leverage this bountiful natural resource without falling prey to environmental degradation and civil strife.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
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Volatility returns to markets Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, jumped 31% on Friday — its biggest one-day gain since April — before falling 12% on Monday.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
11 Oct. 2025
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History will probably remember this Ravens team for faltering because of injuries, namely to their starting quarterback.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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