Have you ever seen a football team go down in the lower division because of a string of poor performances? Today's NYT Mini Crossword clue, "downgraded", asks you to find an official, formal word you would use to describe a team or person going down in rank.

If today's NYT Mini Crossword clue proves difficult for you, you can use our hints and answers below to solve the puzzle with ease.

Let's get started and reveal the answer.

The answer to the five in the New York Times Mini Crossword of October 12 is "DEMOTES". According to Merriam-Webster the word demote means "to demote to a less important position", which fits the clue perfectly.