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

Relevance

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
  • Once their ships turned away, the tension dramatically decreased, though hours later China Coast Guard ships could be seen in the distance still shadowing the Philippine vessels.
    — Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Air pollution is severe in many cities and industrial regions and is estimated to have caused the average life expectancy of Indians to decrease by more than three years in 2022.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • The flood of content drew more young people into the demonstrations and underscored the diminishing influence of traditional media in India among Gen Z.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • Workers seek transparency regarding AI's impact on their roles, assurance against job losses, and confidence that their value isn't diminished.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • But the reserves are shrinking as state lawmakers cut taxes and increase spending.
    — David Wickert, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
  • If the logic is that those who lived through those days won’t need any explanation, the flaw is that four decades on, the ratio of people who clearly remember Lockerbie to those who don’t is only shrinking.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of shrink
Verb
  • On SpaceX’s first day of trading, Wood’s Ark invested about half a billion in SpaceX, and has purchased more as the price has ebbed since its opening day.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 July 2026
  • The autocracies are surging, and democracies ebbing.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Definition of ebb
Verb
  • When reached by phone by CNN, one of the lead doctors for the trial, Yu Yongguo, declined to comment and hung up.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • The Pentagon declined to comment when contacted by CBS News for this story.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • According to Gerardo Lopez, who studies the parasite at University of Arizona, the number of cases may taper off soon.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
  • The rain will be tapering off and skies will be clearing in the afternoon.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 July 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)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ratchet (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratchet%20%28down%29. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All