as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the court-martial's decision was to demote the officer responsible for the failed mission
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Recent Examples of demote
He was eventually demoted to Triple-A on June 18 and did not appear in the majors again.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Colby is a 2025 seventh-round pick who was demoted after making six starts last year.
—Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
After all, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, demoted him as a working royal but didn’t do much else and provided him with the money to pay a settlement to Virginia Giuffre.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2026
Just beware of adding something really wacky—like raisins—or you’ll be put on potluck probation and demoted to plate-and-napkin duty.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demote
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Colby is a 2025 seventh-round pick who was demoted after making six starts last year.
—Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
After all, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, demoted him as a working royal but didn’t do much else and provided him with the money to pay a settlement to Virginia Giuffre.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2026
Just beware of adding something really wacky—like raisins—or you’ll be put on potluck probation and demoted to plate-and-napkin duty.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demote
Verb
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Protective styles like low buns or braids can also reduce frizz throughout the day.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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In her tenure, Colorado has taken major steps to increase price transparency, reduce hospital and prescription drug costs, and hold the health care industry accountable.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Authorities had since dismissed her lawyers’ requests to send her to a hospital for urgent treatment.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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There is a long history of women's pain being dismissed by doctors, incorrectly categorized as period pain or rooted in psychological distress.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demote. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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