as in reducing
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 demoting
Senior officials have discussed promoting Dhillon to one of the top department roles, while demoting Woodward, the sources added.
—
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Absent a lawsuit, which could be lengthy, Johnson’s options for actually removing Pettigrew could be trickier than merely demoting Brewer, however.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
In late January, the president put border czar Tom Homan in charge of the crackdown, effectively demoting the Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Tampa Bay gave up on Bradley at age 24, demoting him to the minors in his third MLB season and trading him to the Twins at last year’s deadline.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Once Watson and Gordon are both back, Watson will probably be coming off the bench for the first time since mid-November, unless Adelman wants to make a more dramatic change by demoting someone from his starting lineup.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
The former mayor replaced Donlon with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch two months into the job, demoting him to an assistant deputy mayor at City Hall.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The Times is considering demoting the SilverZone to the BronzeZone.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Shortly after the 2024 layoffs, UT made major changes to its marketing and communications department, laying off 20 staff members and demoting its leader.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Absent a lawsuit, which could be lengthy, Johnson’s options for actually removing Pettigrew could be trickier than merely demoting Brewer, however.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
In late January, the president put border czar Tom Homan in charge of the crackdown, effectively demoting the Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Tampa Bay gave up on Bradley at age 24, demoting him to the minors in his third MLB season and trading him to the Twins at last year’s deadline.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Once Watson and Gordon are both back, Watson will probably be coming off the bench for the first time since mid-November, unless Adelman wants to make a more dramatic change by demoting someone from his starting lineup.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
The former mayor replaced Donlon with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch two months into the job, demoting him to an assistant deputy mayor at City Hall.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The Times is considering demoting the SilverZone to the BronzeZone.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Shortly after the 2024 layoffs, UT made major changes to its marketing and communications department, laying off 20 staff members and demoting its leader.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoting
Verb
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One bill focuses on reducing construction costs by updating building codes.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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While these methods remain effective, excessive tilling can break down soil aggregates into smaller particles, reducing soil health and increasing erosion risk.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The high court order allows a lower court to consider dismissing his indictment.—
Mark Sherman,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, the judge took the rare and drastic step of permanently dismissing all legal claims brought by Brigandi’s client, San Diego resident Joanne Couvrette, against her brothers in the winery dispute.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoting. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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