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
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Recent Examples of demoted
Informed that he would be demoted to a depth role, Spence asked for a trade and was dealt to the Ottawa Senators for two mid-round draft picks.
—
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
With the arrival of John Harbaugh at the Giants and the appointment of Dawn Aponte, Joe Schoen seemingly has been demoted/relegated to only scouting.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The 30-year-old said that the whirlwind experience — being traded, shaving his bushy beard, disappointing his new team and getting demoted in less than a week’s time — taught him a lot about himself.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Gingles had been nearly demoted at his job, the co-worker said, due to taking too much time off because of his pending divorce.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Bovino was demoted last month, two days after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan 24.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
The pilot was demoted to street patrol after the dispute.
—Peter D'abrosca , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
McCarthy is coming off a down season marred by an early-season slump that caused him to get demoted to Triple-A.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Hunter Renfroe was designated for assignment, and MJ Melendez was demoted to the minors.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
With the arrival of John Harbaugh at the Giants and the appointment of Dawn Aponte, Joe Schoen seemingly has been demoted/relegated to only scouting.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The 30-year-old said that the whirlwind experience — being traded, shaving his bushy beard, disappointing his new team and getting demoted in less than a week’s time — taught him a lot about himself.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
Gingles had been nearly demoted at his job, the co-worker said, due to taking too much time off because of his pending divorce.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Bovino was demoted last month, two days after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan 24.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
The pilot was demoted to street patrol after the dispute.
—Peter D'abrosca , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
McCarthy is coming off a down season marred by an early-season slump that caused him to get demoted to Triple-A.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Hunter Renfroe was designated for assignment, and MJ Melendez was demoted to the minors.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoted
Verb
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Fires in the area and a federal immigration crackdown last year have reduced tourism, leaving his 12 buses carrying fewer passengers.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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That reduced alcohol spending is not due to price changes, but because consumption is falling, the report said.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After the allegations against his son, the official was dismissed from his post, according to a decision published Wednesday in the state government’s official gazette.—
Eléonore Hughes,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Figures in the main opposition Republican People’s Party, known by its Turkish initials CHP, have dismissed the charges as politically motivated.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rumors Tuttle was on verge of being sacked first surfaced on February 26 after Conservative tabloid newspaper Bild reported Weimer had called an extraordinary meeting to discuss her future as festival director.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
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Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was sacked 54 times this past season, the most in his six-year career.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoted. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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