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
He was also demoted that same year from a top WWE wrestler to being part of a comedic group known as 3MB.
—
Kelsey Lentz, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Mark Helfrich responded by demoting defensive coordinator Don Pellum to linebackers coach.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
The quarterback had requested his release after being demoted to fourth string.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2024
The two employment decision makers who denied Ames a promotion and demoted her were not gay.
—Michelle Travis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for demote 
Kelsey Lentz, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Mark Helfrich responded by demoting defensive coordinator Don Pellum to linebackers coach.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
The quarterback had requested his release after being demoted to fourth string.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2024
The two employment decision makers who denied Ames a promotion and demoted her were not gay.
—Michelle Travis, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for demote
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Cite this Entry
“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demote. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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