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
Not so fast, Hollywood Advertisement But Netflix's bowing out does not indicate a straightforward path for the deal to push through.
—
Chad De Guzman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Two Charlotte restaurants are bowing out of the city’s dining scene.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Two weeks after bowing out in the quarterfinal to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the American head coach announced plans to depart at the end of 2025.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Investors are bowing out of high-growth technology stocks due to concerns about artificial intelligence’s impact on traditional enterprise software and mounting capital expenditures by mega-cap companies to build out their own AI offerings.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
The band remained steadfast in the commitment despite many other acts bowing out.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2026
McCaffrey was relied upon more than ever as the San Francisco powered through a litany of injuries to top players to finish the season 12-5, beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round before bowing out in the divisional round.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
But drummer/vibraphonist Chuck Redd — who has played at this three-day event at the Del Mar Hilton for nearly 20 consecutive years — is the first to make headlines around the world for bowing out of a performance.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
The North Carolina native appeared to reference bowing out of a potential feud with Kendrick Lamar and the backlash from it re-energizing him creatively, which led to a second disc for The Fall-Off and the aforementioned album cover.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
Chad De Guzman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Two Charlotte restaurants are bowing out of the city’s dining scene.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Two weeks after bowing out in the quarterfinal to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the American head coach announced plans to depart at the end of 2025.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Investors are bowing out of high-growth technology stocks due to concerns about artificial intelligence’s impact on traditional enterprise software and mounting capital expenditures by mega-cap companies to build out their own AI offerings.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
The band remained steadfast in the commitment despite many other acts bowing out.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 8 Feb. 2026
McCaffrey was relied upon more than ever as the San Francisco powered through a litany of injuries to top players to finish the season 12-5, beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round before bowing out in the divisional round.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
But drummer/vibraphonist Chuck Redd — who has played at this three-day event at the Del Mar Hilton for nearly 20 consecutive years — is the first to make headlines around the world for bowing out of a performance.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
The North Carolina native appeared to reference bowing out of a potential feud with Kendrick Lamar and the backlash from it re-energizing him creatively, which led to a second disc for The Fall-Off and the aforementioned album cover.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out
Verb
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Two weeks later, Amalia started vomiting, then losing weight.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The Bobcats struggled to do both against the Mountaineers, going 9 of 15 from the charity stripe and losing the battle on the glass 42-28.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But despite the loss, Lucas was pleased with the way several of the players for the Golden Hawks (2-1) came through in the clutch and how the team battled back after falling behind 6-1.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
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After falling behind by 11 during an uneven first half, the Celtics buried the Suns with a 50-11 run that stretched from midway through the second quarter until late in the third.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Milan’s faltering title hopes in Serie A won’t be helped by a horrible injury to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, you’re braced to make any necessary adjustments without faltering.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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