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
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
Biden opted to make South Carolina the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation primary state, advancing Nevada and Michigan in the schedule while dropping Iowa and demoting New Hampshire.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Trump’s efforts to reset the narrative include demoting Gregory Bovino from the Border Patrol’s commander of at-large operations overseeing ICE embeds.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Those are more enticing routes for Finch to take than demoting a struggling Randle last season to promote a struggling Reid.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
But demoting Kelly requires an administrative process known as officer grade determination, which by law makes its decisions based on an officer's conduct while on active duty.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Highways, viaducts, giant interchanges, and a major Metro junction viciously mutilated São Paulo’s downtown in the 1960s and ’70s, demoting it from a popular residential area to a commercial transfer hub, overcrowded and polluted by day but forlorn by night.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
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
Biden opted to make South Carolina the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation primary state, advancing Nevada and Michigan in the schedule while dropping Iowa and demoting New Hampshire.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Trump’s efforts to reset the narrative include demoting Gregory Bovino from the Border Patrol’s commander of at-large operations overseeing ICE embeds.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Those are more enticing routes for Finch to take than demoting a struggling Randle last season to promote a struggling Reid.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
But demoting Kelly requires an administrative process known as officer grade determination, which by law makes its decisions based on an officer's conduct while on active duty.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Highways, viaducts, giant interchanges, and a major Metro junction viciously mutilated São Paulo’s downtown in the 1960s and ’70s, demoting it from a popular residential area to a commercial transfer hub, overcrowded and polluted by day but forlorn by night.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoting
Verb
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Once in place, this will allow staff to care for guests’ most delicate garments while reducing harmful emissions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
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The weapon can also fly more than 45 miles to strike mobile targets, reducing the amount of time that aircrews spend in harm’s way.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rather than dismissing student activism as naïve or disruptive, civic leaders can engage these young Marylanders in real discussions about how government works and how citizens influence change.—
Karl W. Bickel,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Feb. 2026
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And more generally, Jim isn’t dismissing the presence of some bad loans within the private credit complex.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoting. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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