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
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Recent Examples of bow
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Their heads are bowed, their fingers nimbly working gargantuan pale orbs of mochi.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2026
This Valentine’s Day, whether Cupid’s bow found your match or your gal pals are your most beloved companions, there is something around Rhode Island to set your heart fluttering, or at least indulge your craving for sweets, romance and maybe some bubbly, too.
—Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bow
Verb
Fashion icons know when to use their own backs to make a statement, and when to bow to the occasion.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Their heads are bowed, their fingers nimbly working gargantuan pale orbs of mochi.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
The upper deck is home to an alfresco dining area as well as an infinity pool at the bow, while the sundeck has been transformed into a private hideaway to lounge in secluded luxury.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2026
This Valentine’s Day, whether Cupid’s bow found your match or your gal pals are your most beloved companions, there is something around Rhode Island to set your heart fluttering, or at least indulge your craving for sweets, romance and maybe some bubbly, too.
—Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bow
Noun
-
His bends and sighs can be heard on records from Mouth Painter, North Americans, the Rose City Band and Jeffrey Silverstein, not to mention a string of solo albums both alone and with various bands (the post-rocking Tanks, the more sedate Unit).—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Those bends tend to set up in ways that reinforce background conditions related to Earth’s geography, Swain says.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These two are among the fastest plant movements in all of botany, involving rapid changes in leaf curvature and cellular pressure.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Sageman-Furnas, Bobenko, and Hoffmann decided to look for a smooth analogue of the rhino whose curvature lines were similarly restricted to living in planes or on spheres.—
Elise Cutts,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
From my perch on a sun lounger, Friendship Bay stretches out below me – the curve of the powdery sand beach, the impossible blue of the sea and the calming lapping of the waves against the shore.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
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But Disney is graded on a curve, and investors have kept the stock in neutral since 2022, anxiously awaiting the Next Great Era of Disney that Bob Iger’s return to the helm promised.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The race leaders after the last turn of the last lap — Gio Ruggiero and Christian Eckes, specifically — all tried to go to the high side in last few feet of racetrack, and Smith took advantage and eked out the victory on the inside.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Domestic production has risen in parallel, with the industry delivering 54 films last year — a dramatic leap from the turn of the millennium, when output had dipped to just four features.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Confrontations involving federal agents have routinely been captured on video from multiple angles, which later served to discount parts of the government’s narrative of events.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The tech driving my first clumsy steps included a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and GPS sensors monitoring each ski’s position and the weight and angle of my heel.—
Kendall Hunter,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
By Monday, a potent low-pressure center will come ashore somewhere around the San Francisco Bay Area, blanketing the state in widespread precipitation and gusty winds.—
Ian Livingston,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel already established a Gothic world in which the trauma is as loud as the wind on the moors, and Emerald Fennell’s adaptation excises major portions of the book to streamline that atmospheric darkness and ultimate tragedy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Afternoon light sweeps across the terrace, casting long shadows along arches and curved walls.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
-
It is centred around a striking building topped with turf, a nod to Iceland’s traditional architecture, with aqueduct-like arches and an angular timber roof inside—a little Hobbit-like, a little sci-fi rustic.—
Rick Jordan,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bow. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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