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
Scott was initially demoted to the Traffic Division amid an unspecified criminal investigation and was later told he was being fired, according to court records.
—
Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025
The New York Yankees recently made the decision to demote Devin Williams out of the closer role, presumably elevating breakout star Luke Weaver in his place.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Members of Congress tried a couple of times to demote Columbus by changing the holiday’s name, but those efforts fell short.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
Last month, Dhillon demoted senior attorneys who handled police abuse investigations to other low-level assignments, such as handling public records requests or adjudicating internal discrimination complaints.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demote
Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025
The New York Yankees recently made the decision to demote Devin Williams out of the closer role, presumably elevating breakout star Luke Weaver in his place.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Members of Congress tried a couple of times to demote Columbus by changing the holiday’s name, but those efforts fell short.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
Last month, Dhillon demoted senior attorneys who handled police abuse investigations to other low-level assignments, such as handling public records requests or adjudicating internal discrimination complaints.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demote
Verb
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Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm: To reduce the chance of being struck by lightning, when venturing outside, have a plan to get to a safer area.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
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Yerevan has since sought to diversify its defense sources, reducing arms imports from Russia to as low as 10 percent by 2024.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Despite seeking help from her local GP, her concerns were initially dismissed.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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The lawsuit sparked a years-long legal battle that was ultimately voluntarily dismissed in late 2022.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demote. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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