bow out

Verb	1.	bow out - remove oneself from an obligation; "He bowed out when he heard how much work was involved" Synonyms: chicken out, back down, back off, pull out
	2.	bow out - retire gracefully; "He bowed out when he realized he could no longer handle the demands of the chairmanship" Synonyms: withdraw

back down, back off, chicken out, get out, pull out, resile, retire, withdraw