as in losing
to undergo defeat
quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition
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Recent Examples of bowing out
Swalwell, who has denied the allegations, had shown signs of momentum in polls before bowing out.
—
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
However, after bowing out in the quarterfinals to Inter Miami, LAFC’s third consecutive MLS opponent following Colorado and Columbus, the current edition has delivered a much more flavorful experience.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 13 Apr. 2026
Star quarterback Josh Allen is in the middle of his prime, and Buffalo can’t afford to waste any more of his best seasons bowing out of the playoffs at or before the AFC Championship game.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
After bowing out in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a 65-55 loss to Illinois, denying the Cougars a shot at a return trip to the Final Four, UH’s roster will look noticeably different for the 2026-27 season.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
The Musketeers took out Texas in the First Four before bowing out against Illinois in the first round.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
Richard Branson’s company is the only one left helping wealthy tourists explore the outer reaches of our atmosphere via suborbital flight—with its only competitor bowing out recently, with Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin announcing in January it would be stopped its space tourism endeavors.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2026
Not so fast, Hollywood Advertisement But Netflix's bowing out does not indicate a straightforward path for the deal to push through.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Two Charlotte restaurants are bowing out of the city’s dining scene.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
However, after bowing out in the quarterfinals to Inter Miami, LAFC’s third consecutive MLS opponent following Colorado and Columbus, the current edition has delivered a much more flavorful experience.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 13 Apr. 2026
Star quarterback Josh Allen is in the middle of his prime, and Buffalo can’t afford to waste any more of his best seasons bowing out of the playoffs at or before the AFC Championship game.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
After bowing out in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a 65-55 loss to Illinois, denying the Cougars a shot at a return trip to the Final Four, UH’s roster will look noticeably different for the 2026-27 season.
—Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
The Musketeers took out Texas in the First Four before bowing out against Illinois in the first round.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 16 Mar. 2026
Richard Branson’s company is the only one left helping wealthy tourists explore the outer reaches of our atmosphere via suborbital flight—with its only competitor bowing out recently, with Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin announcing in January it would be stopped its space tourism endeavors.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2026
Not so fast, Hollywood Advertisement But Netflix's bowing out does not indicate a straightforward path for the deal to push through.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Two Charlotte restaurants are bowing out of the city’s dining scene.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowing out
Verb
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Boston has not won a playoff series since, finishing last in back-to-back years before returning to the postseason last season and losing to the Yankees in the wild-card round.—
Jimmy Golen,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Winning is obviously much more fun than losing, but losing is part of it.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bishop Moore junior Lucas Magro went 2-1 in the individual singles bracket and took the top seed, William Freshwater of Barron Collier, to a tiebreaker before falling 1-6, 6-1, (10-3).—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the Pistons were sloppy with the ball and careless overall in a 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference series.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Magic played well before faltering down the stretch and had to win an elimination game in the play-in tournament.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In some ways, the pair of them have become symbolic of the hope that this team can rise again after faltering in recent weeks.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bowing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowing%20out. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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