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
  • The Postal Service has grappled with increasing costs as mail volumes have steadily decreased for years.
    — Stella Canino-Quiñones, Washington Post, 10 July 2026
  • Opponents of the task force note that crime was already decreasing in Memphis before the unit’s arrival.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Kylian Mbappé’s powers were diminished in that tournament after sustaining a broken nose, while emerging stars like Michael Olise and Désiré Doué were yet to break through.
    — James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Research shows that drops in hormones actually shrink the volume of gray matter in a woman’s hippocampus and frontal and temporal cortices, which are key for memory and executive function.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 July 2026
  • When the goal looks too big to move, shrink it until your team can win now, then let momentum do the rest.
    — André Martin, Fortune, 16 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
  • During the initial June 11 to June 20 period, revenue per room rates fell in the Miami area on eight of ten nights compared to 2025 while occupancy declined on every one of the 10 nights, according to CoStar.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • MedStar Washington Hospital Center cites financial pressure and declining birth rates.
    — Kendall Staton, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • After delivery, the hair starts shedding at what can seem like an alarming rate—but this will taper off in about 6 to 12 months.
    — Isabel Lopez, Parents, 14 July 2026
  • The large multi-state outbreak in 2013 went from June to August before tapering off.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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