as in reduced
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the court-martial's decision was to demote the officer responsible for the failed mission
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 demoted
Johnson demoted Brewer from board chair following the Pettigrew vote, but Brewer has so far rebuffed the mayor’s attempt to demote him from operating chair, and for now he’s supported by a majority of the board.
—
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
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
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
Once in a rare while, a person who was once heroically famous is demoted to infamous, and his statues disappear.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Always an oddity as a planet, Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet in 2006.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Walker, 32, appeared as a senior deckhand on the Bravo show before he was demoted by fellow cast member Kelley Johnson after clashing with coworkers.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, Johnson demoted CHA Board Chair Matthew Brewer, saying the process that led to Pettigrew's appointment violated state law.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
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
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
Once in a rare while, a person who was once heroically famous is demoted to infamous, and his statues disappear.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Always an oddity as a planet, Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet in 2006.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Walker, 32, appeared as a senior deckhand on the Bravo show before he was demoted by fellow cast member Kelley Johnson after clashing with coworkers.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, Johnson demoted CHA Board Chair Matthew Brewer, saying the process that led to Pettigrew's appointment violated state law.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoted
Verb
-
And Utah temporarily reduced its state fuel tax, but only by 6 cents on the gallon, bringing its state gas tax to 32 cents on the gallon for the remainder of 2026.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Iran’s enrichment capabilities have been reduced by bombing this year and last.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If Camarena completed the program, the charges would be dismissed.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Earlier, Lucknow got off to a poor start when Kagiso Rabada (1-54) dismissed Mitchell Marsh for 11.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Downing Street has blamed the Foreign Office for the failure, and a top civil servant has reportedly been sacked.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Mandelson was sacked in September when the extent of his ties with Epstein was revealed in documents published in the United States.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoted. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
