as in reducing
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 demoting
The Times is considering demoting the SilverZone to the BronzeZone.
—
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Shortly after the 2024 layoffs, UT made major changes to its marketing and communications department, laying off 20 staff members and demoting its leader.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Biden opted to make South Carolina the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation primary state, advancing Nevada and Michigan in the schedule while dropping Iowa and demoting New Hampshire.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Trump’s efforts to reset the narrative include demoting Gregory Bovino from the Border Patrol’s commander of at-large operations overseeing ICE embeds.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Those are more enticing routes for Finch to take than demoting a struggling Randle last season to promote a struggling Reid.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
But demoting Kelly requires an administrative process known as officer grade determination, which by law makes its decisions based on an officer's conduct while on active duty.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Highways, viaducts, giant interchanges, and a major Metro junction viciously mutilated São Paulo’s downtown in the 1960s and ’70s, demoting it from a popular residential area to a commercial transfer hub, overcrowded and polluted by day but forlorn by night.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Considering this poor return (scoring points was a key target in demoting Doohan for Colapinto), Briatore acknowledged during the Dutch GP weekend that Alpine may have unnecessarily burdened its young Argentine driver.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Shortly after the 2024 layoffs, UT made major changes to its marketing and communications department, laying off 20 staff members and demoting its leader.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Biden opted to make South Carolina the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation primary state, advancing Nevada and Michigan in the schedule while dropping Iowa and demoting New Hampshire.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Trump’s efforts to reset the narrative include demoting Gregory Bovino from the Border Patrol’s commander of at-large operations overseeing ICE embeds.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Those are more enticing routes for Finch to take than demoting a struggling Randle last season to promote a struggling Reid.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
But demoting Kelly requires an administrative process known as officer grade determination, which by law makes its decisions based on an officer's conduct while on active duty.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Highways, viaducts, giant interchanges, and a major Metro junction viciously mutilated São Paulo’s downtown in the 1960s and ’70s, demoting it from a popular residential area to a commercial transfer hub, overcrowded and polluted by day but forlorn by night.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Considering this poor return (scoring points was a key target in demoting Doohan for Colapinto), Briatore acknowledged during the Dutch GP weekend that Alpine may have unnecessarily burdened its young Argentine driver.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoting
Verb
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In addition to the effects of the pandemic and tariffs, climate issues — drought in Vietnam, heavy rain in Indonesia, and hot, dry weather in Brazil — are blamed for reducing yields of coffee crops and driving up global prices.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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That means air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will receive paychecks as usual, reducing the risk of widespread flight cancellations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If addiction ends in reconnection, as Kennedy says, then dismissing interventions that create stability, trust, and continuity in people’s lives is counterproductive.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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But the designer explained in his letter that the seasonal campaign is more focused on the theme of dependency and the support of a community, dismissing self sufficiency.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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