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 That started to change almost immediately when Biden, under pressure from his disastrous debate performance on June 27, bowed out of the race on July 21 and passed the baton to Harris. Candy Woodall, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2024 Biden ultimately bowed out of the race, endorsing Harris to run against the former president instead. Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Aug. 2024 The three-time grand slam could bow out of his incredible career with yet another Olympic gold, in a tournament that has meant so much to him throughout the years. Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 3 Aug. 2024 At the 2017 convention, some prominent journalists bowed out of a panel discussion about police violence in part because then-Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman was invited to attend. Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bow out 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bow out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 Aug. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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