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
But Healey allowed the disgraced former cabinet member to keep her over $200,000 salary while she was demoted to Senior Advisor until the end of 2025.
—
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Kelly filed a lawsuit earlier this month in a district court to try to stop Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to demote his rank in retirement, insisting the inquiry unlawfully punished him for his speech and violated his due process.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 22 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
Hegseth is attempting to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain.
—Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demote
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Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
Kelly filed a lawsuit earlier this month in a district court to try to stop Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to demote his rank in retirement, insisting the inquiry unlawfully punished him for his speech and violated his due process.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 22 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
Hegseth is attempting to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain.
—Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 2026.
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