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
Psychologists and economists have spent decades demoting gratification to a sin.
—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Back in 2018, Molitor said demoting Sanó was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.
—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
3 June 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.
—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
City Manager Maraskeshia Smith had previously suggested either cutting or demoting 37 current city employees.
—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
As far as Williams, the Mets aren’t considering demoting him.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Chennai buckled down Kolkata to 36-2 in the power play despite Ajinkya Rahane demoting himself down the order after the skipper struggled to give his team strong starts.
—
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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
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
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Back in 2018, Molitor said demoting Sanó was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.
—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
3 June 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.
—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
City Manager Maraskeshia Smith had previously suggested either cutting or demoting 37 current city employees.
—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
As far as Williams, the Mets aren’t considering demoting him.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Chennai buckled down Kolkata to 36-2 in the power play despite Ajinkya Rahane demoting himself down the order after the skipper struggled to give his team strong starts.
—
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoting
Verb
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This lifts the hull out of the water, reducing hydrodynamic drag and minimizing wake generation.
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On Tuesday, Uzbekistan was soundly thrashed by Portugal 5-0 — significantly reducing the country's chances to qualify for the next round of play in this World Cup, the first ever for a Central Asian nation.
Verb
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Your method of dismissing your flippant remarks, then, is probably the next best option to silence.
-
Kerry Washington completely dismissing Seth Meyers’s home life absolutely slays.
Cite this Entry
“Demoting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoting. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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