Show obeisance

BOWTO

Bend deeply at the waist as a sign of respect in some cultures.

"Show obeisance" hints at a gesture of respect, like bowing. The answer "BOWTO" plays on the phrase "bow to," where "to" is tacked directly onto "bow" without a space, which is common in crossword answers for brevity. It’s a straightforward charade—combine the action (bow) with the preposition (to) for a literal interpretation of the clue.