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.
As 9-1-1: Lone Star bowed out after five seasons, the popular first-responder franchise will stay in the South with another offshoot. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025 Making matters more complicated was the fact that Hughes had been one of the six original players named to the U.S. roster in June, later bowing out because of the injury and being replaced by Jake Sanderson. Michael Russo, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025 This past summer, after the five-time Grammy winner bowed out of his beef with Kendrick Lamar, Williams added salt to his wounds by mentioning the loss during his monologue at the ESPYs. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 13 Feb. 2025 Bonta is bowing out of a crowded field in the wide-open race to replace Newsom. Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bow%20out. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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