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 After fielding a roster that struggled with injuries and went 37-45 before bowing out in the play-in tournament, the Warriors have committed to bringing back almost the exact same team as last season. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 July 2026 While England breezily dismissed Senegal 3-0 in its fourth match of the tournament, Morocco eliminated Portugal in the quarterfinals before bowing out 2-0 to eventual runnersup France in the semis. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 June 2026 After bowing out of college football last week, as Texas Tech — where Sorsby never played a snap — prepared to defend him, the talented yet troubled quarterback opted to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 24 June 2026 Luther Campbell, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Dale Holness, and Elijah Manley had discussed one or two of them bowing out of the race but could not decide who that should be by the filing deadline. — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 12 June 2026 Advertisement Barring Platner bowing out in time—which seems unlikely—Democrats are hunkering down, desperately hoping there aren’t more Platner revelations left to come out before Election Day. — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 June 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out

Verb

The Bot gets -1 for guessing in five and -1 for losing to me.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Avoid puddles - Driving into puddles or low rainwater areas can lead to vehicles hydroplaning or losing control.

— NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2026

Definition of losing

Verb

The skyscraper has been the subject of multiple complaints, including allegations of falling debris and unsafe conditions, records show.

— Kelly McCleary, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
After receiving a report of bricks falling from the 37-story building, fire officials said two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors, while floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors.

— Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Definition of falling

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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 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bowing out

verb

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