bow out

verb

Definition of bow outnext
as in to lose
to undergo defeat quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 bow out Netflix won the initial stage of the bidding war, which started last December, before ultimately bowing out. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026 Jac Schaeffer, that show's creator, was scheduled to helm this follow-up as well before bowing out of the Marvel machine, and VisionQuest has been kicking around in development for a bit. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 However, when Damon bowed out to star in The Odyssey, Affleck took over the role and, well, that’s where Garner drew the line. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026 The other openers had the most to lose here by bowing out of a huge tour. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bow out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow out
  1. lose
  2. fall
Verb
  • What’s made this franchise so beloved has been its willingness to go on that journey with its young characters, maturing and deepening and changing without losing that initial childlike sense of hope and joy.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This means, according to the team, that only about 2% of the electrical charge was lost to competing reactions.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of lose
Verb
  • On the price front, China's residential prices have already fallen by 22% since a 2021 peak, compared with a 67% drop in Japan's after a far greater run-up in prices, the S&P report said.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Insider buying fell 18% to 1,290 buyers, down from 1,580 in the second quarter.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall

Browse Nearby Words

bowmen
bow out
bows
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Cite this Entry

“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow%20out. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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