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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out
Verb
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The Buffalo Bills followed up an impressive win over the Kansas City Chiefs, their long-time AFC nemesis, with an almost inexplicable flop against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10, losing 30-13 on the road.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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When considering improvement, Berzin suggests focusing on changing the ratio of muscle to fat rather than simply losing weight.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Yet in practice, America is now collecting billions from importers, much of it falling on carbon-intensive goods and places.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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