bow out

/ (baʊ) /

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verb

(adverb; usually tr often foll by of) to retire or withdraw gracefully

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby bow out

bowman, Bowman's capsule, bowman's root, bow net, bow oar, bow out, bowrider, bow rudder, bow saw, bowse, bowser

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use bow out in a sentence

True, she was only a second-string nominee, after Tom Daschle had to bow out because of those tax problems.
Will Kathleen Sebelius Win in the End? Legacy Tied to Obamacare’s Outcome|Michael Tomasky|April 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And it seems unlikely that Berlusconi is ready to bow out, especially after such a miraculous comeback.
Ingovernabilita! Inside Italy’s Election Limbo|Barbie Latza Nadeau|February 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Her close friend, Magdalena Rodriguez, was to have accompanied her on the trip but was forced to bow out for financial reasons.
Sarai Sierra, American Slain in Istanbul, Was an Artist in the Making|Michael Daly|February 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Given her advanced age and storied career, wouldn't the aftermath of the surgery have been a good time to gracefully bow out?
Barbara Walters Opens Up About Her Heart Surgery|Howard Kurtz|February 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST

The federal courts should just bow out, they say, of deciding things like gay marriage (and abortion rights).
Get Gay Marriage Off the Ballot|Linda Hirshman|November 4, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He used to shoot arrows with a bow out of the door of the house and hit a mark on a tree that was opposite him.
The King of Ireland's Son|Padraic Colum
Edith leaned over the terrace wall, and took the double-bass bow out of the tall clump of sweet peas.
Dodo's Daughter|E. F. Benson
I took a bow out of a man's hand, and then an arrow, and fitted it to the string; he made signs that he shot birds with it.
Life of John Coleridge Patteson|Charlotte M. Yonge
And all this Inter-Solar man would do now was to bow out and try poaching elsewhere.
Plague Ship|Andre Norton
He pulled the violin and bow out of the old baize bag and fiddled as we walked.
The Belovd Vagabond|William J. Locke

Other Idioms and Phrases with bow out

bow out

Depart, withdraw, resign, as in After five years as chairman, I felt it was time I bowed out, or We'll have to beat them; they'll never bow out. [First half of 1900s]

bow out

Words nearby bow out

Words related to bow out

How to use bow out in a sentence

Other Idioms and Phrases with bow out