bye

1 of 2

noun

plural byes ˈbīz How to pronounce bye (audio)
: the position of a participant in a tournament who advances to the next round without playing
drew a first-round bye

bye

2 of 2

interjection

used as a shortened form of goodbye to express farewell
When he finally spoke, though, and said, "Bye, I'll call you," instead of disappointment she had felt an enormous rush of relief—a feeling, she thinks now, of things falling back into place.Ann Packer
The stag lowered his head and raised it again. He blew out a frosty puff of air, then leaped away, vanishing into the mist. "Bye," Annie said wistfully.Mary Pope Osborne
"Bye, Mom! Bye, Auggie!" I kissed them both quickly and headed toward the door.R. J. Palacio

Examples of bye in a Sentence

Noun She got a bye into the second round of the tennis tournament.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Women’s Pro Singles Recap No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters secured her 50th career PPA singles title in dominant fashion, getting a bye into the 16s thanks to the smaller draws, then cruising to a title without being seriously challenged before the final. Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, Arizona had a bye through the early rounds of the tournament. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
Interjection
The Tritons won six of their last eight games and finished fourth in the Big West Conference with a 13-7 record, earning a first-round bye in this week’s Big West Tournament. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025 With a win, Canyon would play Murrieta Mesa — coming off a bye — in the second round Thursday night. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bye

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of by entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined above

Interjection

1618, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bye was in 1618

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Cite this Entry

“Bye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bye. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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