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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of demoting
Considering this poor return (scoring points was a key target in demoting Doohan for Colapinto), Briatore acknowledged during the Dutch GP weekend that Alpine may have unnecessarily burdened its young Argentine driver.
—
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Spirit has been looking for ways to slash costs, including furloughing and demoting hundreds more pilots and cutting unprofitable routes.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
Spirit is furloughing 270 pilots and demoting an additional 140.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Yaccarino, a media industry veteran who for years led ad sales at NBCUniversal, departed X after Musk merged the service with his xAI artificial intelligence company, effectively demoting her.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2025
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Spirit has been looking for ways to slash costs, including furloughing and demoting hundreds more pilots and cutting unprofitable routes.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025
Spirit is furloughing 270 pilots and demoting an additional 140.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Yaccarino, a media industry veteran who for years led ad sales at NBCUniversal, departed X after Musk merged the service with his xAI artificial intelligence company, effectively demoting her.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoting
Verb
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
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Permeable pavers allow rainwater to soak into the ground, reducing flood risk, while offering an upscale look.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Confidence can tip into defensiveness, so your challenge has a lot to do with asserting boundaries without emotional withdrawal and honoring your needs without dismissing others.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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The president spoke little about democracy in Venezuela, dismissing a potential role for its longstanding democratic opposition in running the country in the immediate aftermath of the operation.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoting. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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