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.
The Canadian actress, 31, starred as Fiona Miller on the Hallmark series from season 6 through season 10 but had to bow out of the show's eleventh season as filming for Landman conflicted. Julia Moore, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024 But to hear the top ranks of the Biden campaign profess, there were zero credible conversations to prepare for the dramatic next steps of Biden bowing out of the race and effectively swapping his name with Vice President Kamala Harris on ballots. Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024 Still, Gaetz's decision to bow out of the confirmation process isn't unique. Elena Moore, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024 In the wake of Trump’s victory last month, Wilis described how Gabbard, who at the time had recently bowed out of her bid to win the Democratic presidential nomination, called him after seeing the film. David Gilbert, WIRED, 10 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 25 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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