Synonym Chooser

How is the word relegate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of relegate are commit, confide, consign, and entrust. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Where would commit be a reasonable alternative to relegate?

While in some cases nearly identical to relegate, commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

When is it sensible to use confide instead of relegate?

Although the words confide and relegate have much in common, confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

When could consign be used to replace relegate?

In some situations, the words consign and relegate are roughly equivalent. However, consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

When might entrust be a better fit than relegate?

While the synonyms entrust and relegate are close in meaning, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of relegate And yet it was almost always relegated to the exam room, somewhere with stirrups in sight. Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 Now it has been relegated to the realm of wistful articles, added to the glowing funeral pyre of cultural entities—breakfast cereals, bar soap, chain restaurants, and so forth—that Millennials have been accused of abandoning. Jordan Michelman, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025 Far from being relegated to America’s past, educational inequality is part of our present. Time, 4 Sep. 2025 Our publishing house has a migrant nature and operates across national borders and for that it is relegated in society. Uriel Kon september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relegate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relegate
Verb
  • This tension is only underlined by the filmmakers’ insistence on using pictures of the real Warrens and their demon-banishing clients in the credits of most Conjuring-verse movies.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • This blemish-banishing formula includes witch hazel, algae extract, and grape seed extract, plus vitamin E to keep pores looking tight, rein in excess sebum, and shield skin from free radicals.
    Esme Benjamin, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The star, classified as IRAS 04302+2247, or IRAS 04302, is a protostar, with its disk measuring at around 40 billion miles (65 billion km) wide.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • It was classified as a heritage site in 1995 and then as a national monument in 1997.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • South America is buzzing with debates over whether Maduro should be exiled or imprisoned.
    Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Everything used to be built around England getting over the line, and the skipper was happy to exile any player who might burst the bubble.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization lobbying for greater gun control across the country, ranks Minnesota 14th in the nation on gun law strength.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The most recent edition of Deloitte’s Football Money League, which ranks clubs worldwide by revenue, had six English clubs (no prizes for guessing which) in the top 10.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • According to Reuters, the Afghans were deported.
    Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In the past, the federal agency lacked the resources to pick up those people upon their release to deport them.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Contest categories distinguish between quilts made for beds, walls and laps and those quilted by hand or by machine, among other techniques and qualifications.
    Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The next phase will work in the space of education, helping medical professionals better understand burnout — both what drives it and how to distinguish it from underlying mental health issues.
    Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In a society that relies so heavily on categorizing people into a gender binary, targeting a young man’s masculinity can be a particularly painful and isolating experience.
    Ashleigh N. DeLuca, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The first release of UCISD material on August 11 comprised 3,547 pages of material, categorized by the relevant person or subject.
    Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relegate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relegate. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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