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 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
Rewind to March and a painful defeat against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, ending a punishing week that included bowing out of the Champions League to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
So much for bowing out with dignity.
—Robyn Bahr, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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
Rewind to March and a painful defeat against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, ending a punishing week that included bowing out of the Champions League to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 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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Despite spending the whole three-hour awards show telling people that their overlong speeches were losing the Boys & Girls Club of America money, the bit was a ruse.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
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Resilience, in the simplest terms, is the ability to recover from challenges, adapt to change and keep moving forward without losing your core sense of purpose.—
Raquel Gomes,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Crafted in Ireland, the coach features dark brown panels adorned with golden scrollwork and a gilded roof, offering shelter from the light rain falling over Berkshire.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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With the last night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve falling on the same day this year – something that rarely happens – the reverend and rabbi choose to offer a joint service for their congregations.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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China's housing downturn has stretched into a fourth year, with prices, sales, investment and construction activity faltering across the board.—
Anniek Bao,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 Aug. 2025
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Investors’ long-running enthusiasm for artificial intelligence showed signs of faltering late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning as tech stocks tumbled.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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