Assign to a lower position (8)
I believe the answer is:
relegate
'assign to a lower position' is the definition.
(synonyms)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for relegate that I've seen before include "Assign to a lower position" , "Move to a lower division" , "Consign to less important place - maybe a soccer team" , "Send down" , "Transfer to a lower division" .)