Thesaurus results for DEMOTION

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

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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 However, Harvey said, such a demotion must be carefully implemented so as not to inadvertently punish Championship League teams investing the right way in the hopes of making the top flight. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Discharge, suspension, demotion, and reductions in pay or hours are among the actions that can fall within that framework. — William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Another demotion came later when the players were given an optional day off after a match. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 McCoy’s lawsuit alleges that her demotion was in violation of Missouri’s whistleblower statute, which allows public employees to sue for unlawful retaliation after reporting violations of law. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 The outcome of the investigation, Balon said, resulted in the officer receiving a demotion in rank, an unpaid suspension, an indefinite suspension from the use of Flock and remedial ethics training. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Now, in 2026, some still can't get over Pluto's demotion to a dwarf planet. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 26 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for demotion

Noun

Director Kash Patel says the report aims to promote accountability and rebuild public trust; critics say his investigations and firings have politicized the bureau and further undermined confidence.

— Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
The firing came after local station KGW unearthed tweets from Bell's account written between 2012 and 2014.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of firing

Noun

From 2022 through 2025, 68 percent of Manhattan’s counterfeiting cases ended in adjournments in contemplation of dismissal (ACDs), compared with 17 percent of other Manhattan misdemeanor cases.

— Daniel Edward Rosen, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
When a dismissal order and the driving record contradict each other, call the office that was supposed to transmit the update.

— Karen Koehler, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismissal

Noun

Hinson said the bill’s reductions to Medicaid spending for Iowa will be offset by the Rural Health Transformation Program, which allots $50 billion divided among all 50 states over the next five years.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
Higher borrowing costs will eventually force a reduction in credit and spending, weighing on economic activity and potentially spilling over into equity markets, Dalio said.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduction

Noun

There is humiliation here, claustrophobia, physical vulnerability and an intimacy that occasionally brushes against the erotic.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Beyond the ugly-duckling implications and the patent objectification and humiliation of women, the show’s portrayal of plastic surgery itself struck me as dark and sort of sickening.

— Jolene Edgar, Allure, 2 Oct. 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

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“Demotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demotion. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of demotion

noun

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