relegate

verb

ˈre-lə-ˌgāt How to pronounce relegate (audio)
Definition of relegatenext
1
as in to banish
to force to leave a country courtiers and generals who incurred the emperor's disfavor were soon relegated to the farther reaches of the empire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type some psychologists argue that the syndrome should be relegated to a different class of autism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 The poor performance left Doval, relegated to low-leverage opportunities, well removed from Aaron Boone’s circle of trust in recent weeks. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026 The year 1980 also saw the Tower relegated to second place in the London skyline when the taller NatWest Tower was completed. — David Szondy august 01, New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026 Conor O’Neill Ipswich Town Set to embark on their first season without manager Kieran McKenna since 2021, this Ipswich team feel more prepared for Premier League football than the one relegated from the top flight two seasons ago. — Luke Bosher, New York Times, 31 July 2026 Pragiwaksono has only yet passed in two venues — Eastville Comedy Club in Brooklyn and Westside Comedy Club in Manhattan — so his sets are largely relegated to open mics. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for relegate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relegate
  1. banish
  2. classify
  3. exile
  4. rank
  5. deport
  6. distinguish
Verb
  • Rhaenyra also makes the drastic decision of relieving Mysaria of her duties as master of whispers and banishing her from King’s Landing.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Sam Roberts, a longtime obituarist for the New York Times, wants to banish the euphemisms that attend death.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of banish
Verb
  • But the chief declined to classify the violence as gang-related at a community briefing on July 24, when reporters pressed her about whether the people involved belonged to rival gangs or families.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Many of the first big commercial systems, like AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, and HotBot, used crawlers and indexes to automatically map a growing web rather than relying on editors to hand-classify every site.
    — Alan Bradley, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of classify
Verb
  • The Greek monarchy was abolished in 1973, and Crown Prince Pavlos’ parents, King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie, were exiled from the country, only returning in 2013.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Joe, a Geordie exiled to Yorkshire in search of work, regaled his son with stories of Jackie Milburn and the three FA Cup triumphs of the 1950s.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of exile
Verb
  • Najib was later detained and became one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Minnesota ranked 29th in passing yards per game, 30th in QB rating and 32nd in turnovers.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of rank
Verb
  • In 2025, Taiwan deported three Chinese spouses for advocating for reunification with China using military force.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Another woman holding a stack of documents is there with her son and wanted to make sure her children could come with her if she is deported.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of deport
Verb
  • Rather than attention-getting architectural statements, his work favored relatively modest and affordable homes distinguished by thoughtful design and a close connection to their surroundings.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026
  • However, what truly distinguishes the series from its predecessor is its awareness of societal issues beyond sexism and misogyny.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of distinguish

Browse Nearby Words

releasing
relegate
relegated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relegate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relegate. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on relegate

Nglish: Translation of relegate for Spanish Speakers

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