BOW OUT Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

bow out

verb

Definition of bow out

as in to lose

to undergo defeat quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition

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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.

Recent Examples of bow out Of all the musicians in the world—of all the people in the world—only Dolly could make that seem like the perfect way to bow out of the game. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 At this point, the architects of Bass’ campaign need to burn sage to drive out bad spirits or just bow out altogether. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 With that said, knowing when to bow out is just as much a personal decision as a professional one. — Kara Trott, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Also complicating matters is that some voters already have cast absentee ballots for Democrats who have bowed out of the race but remain on the ballot. — Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bow out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow out

Verb

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that over a million children have lost food benefits since July 2025, when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
The Buffaloes lost seven of their final eight games, including a 53-7 loss to Utah and a 52-17 loss to Arizona.

— Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of lose

Verb

The share of mid-cap companies in that has increased to 20% from 14% while that of 100 large-cap companies has fallen from 78% to 72%, the report showed.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
The company says its reactor’s electrical output falls within the range of a high-performance vehicle drivetrain.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of fall

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bowmen

bow out

bows

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“Bow out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow%20out. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bow out

verb

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