demotion

noun

as in firing
the act or an instance of bringing to a lower grade or rank anyone who objects will get a demotion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 demotion Now, in 2026, some still can't get over Pluto's demotion to a dwarf planet. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 But after two decades in the rearview, Pluto’s demotion still stirs anger and controversy, and many people regard its change in status as a very bad thing. — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026 Astronomers in favor of Pluto's demotion argued that a planet by definition should have cleared its orbit around the sun. — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 In fact, the demotion of the human agent in policing is often by design. — Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026 For some, the sting of that cosmic demotion has never gone away. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026 Most Teams Aren't Teams at All Friedman's argument starts with a demotion. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 The lawsuit claims Lee was repeatedly assured that the first demotion would be temporary and her original position would be available to her the following season. — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Among them, offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand opted against taking what was effectively a demotion, with play-calling duties going to a more veteran coach (eventually, Frank Reich), and left, too. — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demotion
  1. firing
  2. dismissal
  3. reduction
  4. humiliation
  5. sacking
Noun
  • Training units would not need to replace the complete launch pod after every firing cycle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Among other requests, the complaint asked the court to declare the firings unlawful under the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedures Act and bar the Pentagon from proceeding with the terminations.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • Cook denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit challenging her dismissal.
    — Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Wide receiver Cam Vaughn has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami and the NCAA in an attempt to enter the transfer portal, a little more than one week after the Hurricanes announced his dismissal from the program.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Noun
  • Top establishments like London's Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, a three-star restaurant, offer flexible à la carte lunch options for under £100, a significant reduction from their standard tasting menus.
    — Carinne Geil Botta, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Recent school closures have helped the district to be able to make that reduction.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduction
Noun
  • Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • There is a feeling of humiliation that stings long after an event has passed.
    — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliation
Noun
  • Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets to demand the sacking of Syrskyi — an old-guard military commander blamed by his critics for heavy troop losses at the front line — and Fedorov’s reinstatement.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Liverpool have been without a specialist set-piece coach since the sacking of Aaron Briggs last December.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of sacking

Browse Nearby Words

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demotion
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Cite this Entry

“Demotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demotion. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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