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, whatever ambition Newsom may have had if Joe Biden bowed out this year was dashed when Democratic leaders immediately anointed Harris as the substitute. Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024 Nadal's been hamstrung by injuries in recent years, forcing him to bow out of some competitions. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Oct. 2024 My friends were regularly annoyed about my bowing out of parties. Daisy Jones, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2024 Scott raised his stature this past year by running for the Republican nomination for president but bowed out and endorsed former President Donald Trump before the Iowa caucuses. David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Oct. 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 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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