bow out

verb

bowed out; bowing out; bows out
Synonyms of bow outnext

intransitive verb

: retire, withdraw
also : lose
bowed out in the first round of the tournament

Synonyms of bow out

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Examples of bow out in a Sentence

quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The girl group had to bow out of Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival August 27 after Megan Skiendiel sprained her ankle. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2026 Aledo has a record 12 state championships and hadn’t gone two consecutive years without a title appearance since the 2009 season, before falling in the state semifinals last season and reaching the state quarterfinals in 2024 before bowing out. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026 Of all the musicians in the world—of all the people in the world—only Dolly could make that seem like the perfect way to bow out of the game. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 At this point, the architects of Bass’ campaign need to burn sage to drive out bad spirits or just bow out altogether. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bow out

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bow out was in 1942

Rhymes for bow out

See All Rhymes for bow out

Browse Nearby Words

bow on
bow out
bow pen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bow%20out. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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