bow out

verb

bowed out; bowing out; bows out

intransitive verb

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

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.
However, Gonzalez bowed out in mid-2022 after failing to get confirmed amid a personal scandal. Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Dec. 2024 Bride and Groom Split Wedding Guests Into A- and B-Listers — Only Invite B-Listers to Watch Recording on Zoom In the comments section, one person immediately reacted to the bride's point that her mom will refuse to bow out of paying for part of the wedding. Erin Clack, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024 Thus ensued multiple rounds of diss tracks — Cole infamously bowed out early — before Kendrick threw down the hammer. Alex Suskind, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024 Another Grateful Dead co-founder, Bill Kreutzmann, had bowed out of Dead & Company before what was advertised as their final tour in 2023. Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near bow out

Cite this Entry

“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bow%20out. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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