1
as in to succumb
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
finally bowed to the judge's insistence that she change her outfit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to submit
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)
bowed to the craving for fresh coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course
the river bows gently to the north before it reaches the sea
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bend
to cause to turn away from a straight line
you'll have to gently bow the strip of wood in order to fit it in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bend
something that curves or is curved
her full lips form a pair of perfect bows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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
Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Think Super Sweet Replace grunge items with pops of pink, bow details, and babydoll shoes.
—Samantha Sutton, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Camelia Heins, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
The dress is crafted from lustrous taffeta, and a little velvet bow at the bust completes the look with understated material contrast.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bow
Verb
As the ball sailed wide right to secure the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pulsating and division-clinching 26-24 win, Loop bowed his head and stuffed his hands inside his face mask before being consoled by holder Jordan Stout.
—Noun
An hour later, for its first concert since the fires, parishioners sat in awe as Grammy Award winning violinist Anne Akiko Meyers weaved her bow across her violin, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach echoing through the church.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow
Noun
-
As the lead guide crouched down, an elephant walked around a bend in the river, maybe 30 metres ahead of us.—
-
At 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, Huff at his best has good bend and some twitch to his game.—
Noun
-
This perspective allows viewers to appreciate the curvature of the planet, accentuated by a thin, faint green layer of airglow along the horizon, a reminder of Earth's atmosphere glowing softly against the darkness of space.—
-
The Lover’s Knot originally had an extra 19 pearls pointed upright from each diamond curvature, according to Claire Scott, Design and Development Director at Garrard, per Natural Diamonds.—
Noun
-
My visit to Sani Isla had a learning curve.—
-
This means that there is a way of stretching the velocity curve in one frame to match the steeper velocity curve in a later frame.—
Noun
-
Investments in controlling invasive species have led to a 75 percent reduction in the area overtaken by melaleuca, a particularly thirsty tree species introduced in the river of grass near the turn of the 20th century to help drain it.—
-
For example, data from ordering systems may be used to automatically determine production schedules, which in turn inform equipment maintenance routines, while leaders manage everything remotely from a centralized interface.—
Noun
-
The incident sparked national outcry, as numerous videos circulated online showing multiple angles of the shooting, including the bodycam point of view of the officer who shot Good.—
-
The angle of Ross’s phone does not capture any contact between him and the car.—
Noun
-
Crews were already stretched thin battling the Palisades fire when 90-mile-per-hour winds grounded aircraft and caused the blaze to explode.—
-
And five monkeys had been present at the silent launching of the fragile glider, which should have stayed in the air for some minutes, borne on the bosom of the wind, before landing sweetly on a treetop, from which it would then be retrieved by Pedro for another flight.—
Noun
-
The wrong pair can mean shin splints or sore arches halfway through a trip, and no vacation is worth that.—
-
Built during the 12th through 16th centuries, these medieval masterpieces were born out of Romanesque architecture, which saw churches designed with thick walls, round arches, and large towers.—
Cite this Entry
“Bow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share