ratchet (down)

verb

variants also rachet (down)
Definition of ratchet (down)next
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually news stories about the kidnapping will ratchet down as the weeks go by

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratchet (down)
  1. decrease
  2. diminish
  3. shrink
  4. ebb
  5. decline
  6. taper off
Verb
  • Telecom stocks — Shares of AT & T and T-Mobile fell more than 5% each, while Verizon shares decreased 1% on a Bloomberg News report that SpaceX is in private talks to lease 80,000 cell towers.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As technology has advanced, launch costs have decreased, and satellites have become more efficient, smaller and cheaper to build.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • Though apparently diminishing his own roster is part of the team's motivational playbook.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Granderson doesn’t believe that repeat celebrations diminish the significance of the ultimate prize, the World Series.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Musk’s wealth faces a countdown Musk also expects his personal fortune to shrink substantially across future generations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the visible faces of the Southwest’s critical water problem, as the Colorado River — which supplies water to nearly 40 million people — shrinks due to a combination of climate change and human demand.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrink
Verb
  • The golden era of sports print journalism ebbed and began to die.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The new era of worker power that labor advocates proclaimed as the pandemic ebbed was something of a chimera.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of ebb
Verb
  • Central bank holdings at the New York Fed declined 40 tonnes in August, Goldman added, while holdings at the Bank of England rose 46 tonnes.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For this story, however, the district declined to comment due to Ortiz’s lawsuit, which is ongoing.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • The precipitation is expected to taper off Thursday evening, according to the weather service.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • How long tapering off testosterone takes Recovery is not uniform.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of taper off
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ratbags
ratchet (down)
ratcheted (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Ratchet (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratchet%20%28down%29. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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