BOWING OUT Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

bowing out

verb

present participle of bow out

as in losing

to undergo defeat quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bowing out Keller went 10-1-1 in 1993, with a tie against Abilene Cooper (39-39) in Week 3, before bowing out in the second round of the playoffs. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026 Charleson received rave reviews, but died just seven weeks after bowing out. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 Netflix won the initial stage of the bidding war, which started last December, before ultimately bowing out. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026 Jac Schaeffer, that show's creator, was scheduled to helm this follow-up as well before bowing out of the Marvel machine, and VisionQuest has been kicking around in development for a bit. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 The other openers had the most to lose here by bowing out of a huge tour. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 This was a two-team race between two wild-card teams that won their playoff openers last season before bowing out in the divisional round. — The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 After bowing out of competition in Venice, the film will probably find a place to be on streaming. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 He was brought in to get England over the line in this type of situation, but his negative tactics contributed to the team bowing out yet again. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out

Verb

Atlanta reached the Finals for the first time since 2013 and after losing in its previous three appearances in the championship round, will be trying for their first as well.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Tim Boyd San Juan Capistrano I’m sure there are Dodgers fans unhappy about losing to the Brewers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of losing

Verb

The disruption has sent transits through the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb falling sharply after mostly recovering to their pre-war levels.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
This all comes at a time when supply is falling — and falling faster than demand is recovering.

— Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of falling

Verb

There were early indicators that both programs and public engagement were faltering under the board’s new leadership.

— E. Andrew Taylor, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
The grandees of Gullen have set their hopes on Claire’s bankrolling their faltering community’s recovery.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of faltering

Browse Nearby Words

bowing

bowing out

bowing (to)

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“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bowing out

verb

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