1
as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the bowed branches of the weeping willow offered some protection from the rain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in succumbed
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in submitted
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 curved
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 arched
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
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 bowed
Kansas City Star, 19 Nov. 2025
No racist stereotypes, no demeaning facial expressions, no bowed heads, and no broken bodies from the old Hollywood.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
The composer also added synths to his orchestral score, as well as bowed metal, where a violin bow is rubbed against metal instruments like a cowbell or a Vibraphone, for when Roz has a particularly intense feeling.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
Jeremy Strong forwent a classic suit and tie in favor of a bowed necktie, giving his tailored look the perfect dash of whimsy.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 June 2024
In what had been the kitchen, a bowed fridge, a warped sink top and a charred oven huddled together.
—Anumita Kaur, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Sep. 2023
The spaces among bowed strings, brasses and percussion are wider.
—Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2023
Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2026
Several councils in major cities bowed to public pressure.
—Michael Saunders, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
In her final statement, Bich cried, bowed her head and apologized to surviving relatives, asking for forgiveness, the outlets reported.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
Shortly after Ben-Gvir entered the Anderson House, protestors removed their shoes, laid down their flags and bowed their heads in the middle of the street to begin praying for the lives lost in the ongoing war in Gaza.
—Meredith Nierman, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
Friends, colleagues and members of the public bowed and laid incense offerings in tribute to Ho Wai-ho, 37, who was killed while trying to put out the blaze that engulfed seven high-rise residential blocks in the Tai Po neighborhood last month.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
The Japanese prime minister, who had expressed fondness for South Korean cosmetics, seaweed, and television dramas days earlier, bowed to the South Korean flag—a move considered respectful that was widely covered in the South Korean press.
—Ayumi Teraoka, Foreign Affairs, 19 Dec. 2025
Our childhood home was quiet at night, sitting on a cul-de-sac encircled by a meeting of trees whose heads bowed toward the center as if in prayer.
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
The country’s Supreme Court, while occasionally striking down discriminatory measures against Palestinians, has bowed to security rationales that permit the broader settlement enterprise to proceed.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The building with its bowed windows and a Queen Ann tower had already been around for nine years before its owner placed a classified ad in a July 1897 issue of The Kansas City Times.
—Verb
As with the first two Knives Out movies, Netflix bowed the threequel at the Toronto Film Festival in September.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for bowed
Adjective
-
Even with lowered rents, The Grand’s residents aren’t staying long.—
-
This was highlighted by the fact that Psyche’s April 2024 message – beamed from a distance of 225 million kilometers – reached Earth at a lowered 25 megabits per second.—
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Adjective
-
That oversupply and softening demand translates to downward pressure on prices, Cain said.—
-
Trump aims to address sky-high prices by shutting institutional investors out of the market for single-family homes, which in theory could alleviate the supply-demand crunch and put downward pressure on prices.—
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Cite this Entry
“Bowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bowed. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share