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
Sanders demoted offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to quarterbacks coach and stripped the former NFL head coach of play-calling duties.
—
Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
He is simply demoted in sexiness without fanfare.
—Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Hamilton lost his command this year and was eventually demoted to the minor leagues.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
He was demoted as a working royal back in 2022 by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 28 Oct. 2025
After a 24-21 loss at Air Force, Cowboys coach Jay Sawvel demoted Jay Johnson from offensive coordinator to analyst.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
Merrill was then demoted from co-anchor of the Weekday Morning Show to working weekend nights.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Now the show has demoted her to a B- or C-plot sitcom character, lacking in sharpness and a consistent point of view.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Also, two sergeants and a trooper were fired, demoted or resigned.
—Paul Egan, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
He is simply demoted in sexiness without fanfare.
—Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Hamilton lost his command this year and was eventually demoted to the minor leagues.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
He was demoted as a working royal back in 2022 by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 28 Oct. 2025
After a 24-21 loss at Air Force, Cowboys coach Jay Sawvel demoted Jay Johnson from offensive coordinator to analyst.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
Merrill was then demoted from co-anchor of the Weekday Morning Show to working weekend nights.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Now the show has demoted her to a B- or C-plot sitcom character, lacking in sharpness and a consistent point of view.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Also, two sergeants and a trooper were fired, demoted or resigned.
—Paul Egan, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoted
Verb
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To start, there are the fabric covers—the latest issue featuring a series of iconic William Morris prints, full-bleed images and heavyweight paper at a time when most of the industry has been reduced to flimsy stock.—
Naomi Rougeau,
Robb Report,
31 Oct. 2025
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Staffing has reportedly been reduced by 50 percent in some areas since the shutdown started.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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India lost its review in desperation to get Wolvaardt dismissed, and then gambled with Verma’s gentle off-breakers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The lawsuit was dismissed in March after a judge found the group had no standing to pursue the claims made.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But the Panthers held him out of the end zone and sacked him once.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
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Williams had 136 passing yards and was only sacked once.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demoted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoted. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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