as in loses
to undergo defeat
quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
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Recent Examples of bows out
Herman said in many ways, the state law is more stringent than the Clean Water Act, so even if the EPA bows out of regulating Southern California’s ditch system, the state’s rules might prevent pollution from flowing.
—
Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Behold the golden-orange horizon over Kitt Peak National Observatory, a fiery twilight moment where day bows out and the stars prepare their grand entrance.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Vegas ends up in a wild-card spot and bows out in the opening round.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The news comes as the Weeknd bows out.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
That’s right, Foundation season three bows out with a shot at Earth itself and two robots living on the moon.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
In an Instagram reel posted on her page (also shared by YouTube page My Husband is My Best Friend), the Basketball Wives LA star is sipping wine and engaging in tourist behavior like exploring monumental cathedrals with the Sacramento Kings coach before summer 2025 bows out.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 2 Sep. 2025
Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Behold the golden-orange horizon over Kitt Peak National Observatory, a fiery twilight moment where day bows out and the stars prepare their grand entrance.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Vegas ends up in a wild-card spot and bows out in the opening round.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The news comes as the Weeknd bows out.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
That’s right, Foundation season three bows out with a shot at Earth itself and two robots living on the moon.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
In an Instagram reel posted on her page (also shared by YouTube page My Husband is My Best Friend), the Basketball Wives LA star is sipping wine and engaging in tourist behavior like exploring monumental cathedrals with the Sacramento Kings coach before summer 2025 bows out.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bows out
Verb
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The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
7 Mar. 2026
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Even buying a digital copy of a movie or a TV show isn’t true ownership, as what users are actually purchasing is a revocable license to watch it that can be removed if the streamer loses distribution rights.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iranians also continue to argue over who should lead if the current government falls.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The peak falls near a first-quarter moon this year, which bodes well for another bright, impressive shower this year, per the Old Farmer’s Almanac.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If Oviedo falters over the next month, the Red Sox may be forced to flip him with either Tolle or Early.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Alice never falters in her suspicions.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bows out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bows%20out. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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