as in to reduce
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 demote
In June, three Kissimmee police officers were fired and two others were demoted following a lengthy investigation into the excessive force case.
—
Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 July 2025
The character is a former tactical officer demoted to patrol by her supervisor after noting his tendencies to avoid any real work to preserve his pension.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 26 June 2025
Weston Wilson, who was part of the platoon in left field with Max Kepler, was demoted to Triple A on Thursday.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Ballard is a maverick who’s been demoted to assembling a volunteer team, literally in the basement, to review cold case files.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for demote
Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 July 2025
The character is a former tactical officer demoted to patrol by her supervisor after noting his tendencies to avoid any real work to preserve his pension.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 26 June 2025
Weston Wilson, who was part of the platoon in left field with Max Kepler, was demoted to Triple A on Thursday.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Ballard is a maverick who’s been demoted to assembling a volunteer team, literally in the basement, to review cold case files.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for demote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demote
Verb
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Morning dopamine spikes from phone use reduce your motivation to pursue slower, more meaningful tasks later.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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Do not follow large vehicles closely - Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The felony charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they can't be refiled.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
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In previous cycles, price booms were often dismissed as driven by hype, memes, and momentum.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demote. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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