demoted; demoting
1
: to reduce to a lower grade or rank
demote a student
was demoted from major to captain
2
: to relegate to a less important position
a pitcher demoted to the bullpen
Examples of demote in a Sentence
Teachers can choose to demote a student to a lower grade.
The army major was demoted to captain.
Recent Examples on the Web
This lawyer, who quit after being reassigned and demoted, recalled being informed by one of Dhillon’s aides that the decision to push out career leadership had not been made by the assistant attorney general.
—
Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
The mayor has since demoted Brewer from board chair and seeks to remove him as operating chairman as well, but the soonest Johnson can wield the supermajority likely required to fire Pettigrew for cause would be this summer.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
They aren’t being demoted or deprioritized.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Acquired before last year’s trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies, Bird was quickly demoted after struggling in his initial Yankee stint.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demote
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Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
The mayor has since demoted Brewer from board chair and seeks to remove him as operating chairman as well, but the soonest Johnson can wield the supermajority likely required to fire Pettigrew for cause would be this summer.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
They aren’t being demoted or deprioritized.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Acquired before last year’s trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies, Bird was quickly demoted after struggling in his initial Yankee stint.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demote
Cite this Entry
“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demote. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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