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 Mexico is starting over — again — after hiring its fourth coach since bowing out of the last World Cup in the group stage for the first time in more than four decades. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024 While Bush has largely bowed out of political life, Trump's attacks have touched him as well. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2024 But Pegula, known for her resilience and tenacity, refused to bow out. Jenn Nelson, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024 Oh, and one contestant decided to bow out of the competition after not yet scoring a solo date. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 6 Aug. 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 5 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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