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
Fernandez struggled with the big league club in April, posting an 11.42 ERA over 11 appearances before being demoted to Memphis.
—
Katie Woo, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Her own beloved father – first a bank manager, then demoted to bank clerk – had drunk himself to death when Travers was only eight years old.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
The Yankees cleared an active roster spot for Slater by demoting backup catcher J.C. Escarra to Triple-A.
Slater, 32, hit .236 with a .721 OPS, five home runs and 11 RBI over 51 games for Chicago this season.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025
Henderson was not the only rookie demoted to the second-team offense, likely an effort by the coaching staff to field players around Maye who knew exactly where to be and what to do running new plays.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for demote
Katie Woo, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Her own beloved father – first a bank manager, then demoted to bank clerk – had drunk himself to death when Travers was only eight years old.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
The Yankees cleared an active roster spot for Slater by demoting backup catcher J.C. Escarra to Triple-A.
Slater, 32, hit .236 with a .721 OPS, five home runs and 11 RBI over 51 games for Chicago this season.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025
Henderson was not the only rookie demoted to the second-team offense, likely an effort by the coaching staff to field players around Maye who knew exactly where to be and what to do running new plays.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for demote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demote
Verb
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Judge Kevin McDonough reduced Dennis' bond to $20,000.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
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The vertical design helps minimize the risk of injury from RSI and reduces muscle tension in the arm for more comfort throughout the working day.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Boston Magazine reported that during her training she was ultimately dismissed for administering opiates without a doctor’s order and leaving her shift early.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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Bond's attorneys filed a lawsuit against the unnamed accuser, and the suit was ultimately dismissed.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demote. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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