bowing out
Taking one's leave
Bowing out is withdrawing gracefully from a position, competition, or activity—often to let others take over or to avoid prolonging an inevitable end.
The image is of an actor taking a final bow before exiting the stage.
After thirty years in Congress, she's bowing out.
He bowed out of the race when the polls turned against him.
- resigningGiving up a post
- quittingCeasing an activity
- calling it quitsEnding an endeavor permanently
- stepping downVoluntarily relinquishing a role
- stepping asideRemoving oneself from position
retirement · leave · taking leave · exiting · graceful exit · departure · withdrawn · farewell · swan song · last hurrah · final curtain · succession · passing the torch · curtain call · abdication · yielding · changeover · conceding
- giving upgive up, giving up, quit, quitting, surrender
- leavingdeparture, quit, walking away, withdrawing, bail
- quittingquit, resign, resignation, stop, end
- Sitting Outbenched, sidelined, on the bench, on the sidelines, sitting idle
- endingsending, the end, finish, close, final
- farewellsgoodbye, farewell, bye, adieu, bye-bye
bowing outjoining in
Taking part with others
signing up · stepping up · jumping in · entering · participating
bowing outdoubling down
Strengthening a risky commitment
committing · persevering · sticking it out · digging in · recommitting
bowing outstepping in
competing · contending · coming out of retirement · reentering