as in to lose
to undergo defeat
quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
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Recent Examples of bow out
The superstars of 1960s and ’70s counterculture are bowing out, often replaced by the fragmented niches, tribes and trends enabled by the internet.
—
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 6 July 2025
The timing was somewhat auspicious given that the show is about to bow out for its 69th season.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 June 2025
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends bowed out at the nearly full Friedman (97%), the best attendance for the show in weeks.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 July 2025
Five months later, in March 2025, it was confirmed that Coulier was cancer-free.
07 of 09
Andrea Barber as Kimmy Gibbler
After Full House wrapped, Barber bowed out of the acting world.
—Diana Pearl, People.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 6 July 2025
The timing was somewhat auspicious given that the show is about to bow out for its 69th season.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 June 2025
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends bowed out at the nearly full Friedman (97%), the best attendance for the show in weeks.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 July 2025
Five months later, in March 2025, it was confirmed that Coulier was cancer-free.
07 of 09
Andrea Barber as Kimmy Gibbler
After Full House wrapped, Barber bowed out of the acting world.
—Diana Pearl, People.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bow out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow out
Verb
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But revived Western cooperation on Iran might at least give those inside the Trump administration who still prize America’s alliances hope that all is not yet lost.—
John R. Bolton,
The Atlantic,
9 July 2025
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Dozens of students gathered Tuesday evening at a vigil held in front of the University of Texas Tower, hosted by the University Panhellenic Council and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority's Kappa chapter, to mourn the lives lost.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Partner that with another warning sign: A declining ratio of U.S. exports to imports while the U.S. deficit increases into record territory – like trade falling two months in a row, atypical since the former tends to remain steady even as the deficit increases.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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As 2024 began, demand for electricity on the national grid started falling—not because the economy was in decline but because (as careful scrutiny of images on Google Earth revealed) so many Pakistanis were putting up solar panels.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow%20out. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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