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
Another milestone for a player bowing out?
—
Ava Wallace, New York Times, 30 May 2026
The latter staged frequent crossovers with the mothership series in its final years before bowing out in May 2024.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 May 2026
Family is the reason Brown is bowing out.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Swalwell, who has denied the allegations, had shown signs of momentum in polls before bowing out.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
However, after bowing out in the quarterfinals to Inter Miami, LAFC’s third consecutive MLS opponent following Colorado and Columbus, the current edition has delivered a much more flavorful experience.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 13 Apr. 2026
Star quarterback Josh Allen is in the middle of his prime, and Buffalo can’t afford to waste any more of his best seasons bowing out of the playoffs at or before the AFC Championship game.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
After bowing out in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a 65-55 loss to Illinois, denying the Cougars a shot at a return trip to the Final Four, UH’s roster will look noticeably different for the 2026-27 season.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
The Musketeers took out Texas in the First Four before bowing out against Illinois in the first round.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
Ava Wallace, New York Times, 30 May 2026
The latter staged frequent crossovers with the mothership series in its final years before bowing out in May 2024.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 May 2026
Family is the reason Brown is bowing out.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Swalwell, who has denied the allegations, had shown signs of momentum in polls before bowing out.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
However, after bowing out in the quarterfinals to Inter Miami, LAFC’s third consecutive MLS opponent following Colorado and Columbus, the current edition has delivered a much more flavorful experience.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 13 Apr. 2026
Star quarterback Josh Allen is in the middle of his prime, and Buffalo can’t afford to waste any more of his best seasons bowing out of the playoffs at or before the AFC Championship game.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
After bowing out in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a 65-55 loss to Illinois, denying the Cougars a shot at a return trip to the Final Four, UH’s roster will look noticeably different for the 2026-27 season.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
The Musketeers took out Texas in the First Four before bowing out against Illinois in the first round.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out
Verb
-
Polished enough for the global luxury buyer without losing contact with the raw material that made the coast desirable in the first place.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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While Journalism’s third at the Grade 2 Oaklawn in his 2026 debut was disappointing, there’s no shame in losing to White Abarrio and Sovereignty.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Although the push to get Huang out of the race failed, the leftist’s campaign ended up falling flat, securing less than 3% of the vote in the primary.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Wall Street, meanwhile, got some relief from falling oil prices.—
Stan Choe,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
China's economy has shown signs of faltering following a strong first-quarter.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
-
After faltering in last year’s Div.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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