bow out

bow out  {v.},  {informal}
1. To give up taking part; excuse yourself from doing any more; quit.
Mr. Black often quarreled with his partners, so finally he bowed out of the company.
While the movie was being filmed, the star got sick and had to bow out.
2. To stop working after a long service; retire.
He bowed out as train engineer after forty years of railroading.
Categories: informal verb