Wiktionary
bow out
vb. (context idiomatic English) To resign, or leave, with one's credibility still intact.
WordNet
bow out
v. remove oneself from an obligation; "He bowed out when he heard how much work was involved" [syn: chicken out, back off, pull out, back down]
retire gracefully; "He bowed out when he realized he could no longer handle the demands of the chairmanship" [syn: withdraw]