relegate

verb

ˈre-lə-ˌgāt How to pronounce relegate (audio)
Definition of relegatenext
1
as in to banish
to force to leave a country courtiers and generals who incurred the emperor's disfavor were soon relegated to the farther reaches of the empire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type some psychologists argue that the syndrome should be relegated to a different class of autism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word relegate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of relegate are commit, confide, consign, and entrust. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Where would commit be a reasonable alternative to relegate?

While in some cases nearly identical to relegate, commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

When is it sensible to use confide instead of relegate?

Although the words confide and relegate have much in common, confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

When could consign be used to replace relegate?

In some situations, the words consign and relegate are roughly equivalent. However, consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

When might entrust be a better fit than relegate?

While the synonyms entrust and relegate are close in meaning, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of relegate No team has ever been relegated from the Premier League with 43 points in a 38-game season, giving Daniel Farke an extra bit of wriggle room in the final three games. —Mark Carey, New York Times, 11 May 2026 The win means Hull have one match to secure a place in the Premier League for the first time since it was relegated in 2017. —ABC News, 11 May 2026 She's been a great teammate while being relegated to some social media role with Wheel of Fortune. —Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026 Clearly, the longer the conflict continues, the greater its impact will be, not just on the travel industry directly, but also because a global supply chain shortage will drive up the cost of living, relegating travel to a nice-to-have rather than a given this summer. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for relegate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relegate
  1. banish
  2. classify
  3. exile
  4. rank
  5. deport
  6. distinguish
Verb
  • Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 May 2026
  • Latz has picked up the past four saves for Texas, banishing Jakob Junis to a supporting role.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Definition of banish
Verb
  • Another pair of wins from KPop Demon Hunters, which are attached to the evil boy band Saja Boys, cracked the top 10 as well, and several members – the group is made up of Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and Samuil Lee – are usually classified as K-pop artists.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • Final thoughts For context, my backyard sky falls somewhere between 7 and 8 on the Bortle scale, a nine-level system used by astronomers to classify the brightness of the night sky and the impact of light pollution.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of classify
Verb
  • The Paramount+ series follows Dwight just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 18 May 2026
  • Both agreed to be exiled, yet both still languish behind bars.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Definition of exile
Verb
  • Nystrom researches the draft tirelessly, keeping a spreadsheet of data (ages, game stats, hand widths) on nearly two thousand players, and publicly ranks his top five hundred—nearly twice as many as will actually be drafted.
    — Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • Other than the San Antonio Spurs, the Knicks are the only postseason team that ranks in the top three in points scored and allowed per 100 possessions.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Definition of rank
Verb
  • There’s little incentive to report such incidents, as Jordanian authorities regularly round up and deport people who work without permits.
    — Annie Hylton, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
  • She was deported in September 1943 by cattle train.
    — Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Definition of deport
Verb
  • But his team distinguished themselves through superior organisation with and without the ball, exploiting space to play to the specific strengths of their personnel.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 May 2026
  • That framework, Yeon says, distinguishes Korean commercial cinema from other markets.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 May 2026
Definition of distinguish

Browse Nearby Words

releasing
relegate
relegated
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Cite this Entry

“Relegate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relegate. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on relegate

Nglish: Translation of relegate for Spanish Speakers

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