variants
also rachet (down)
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)
Verb
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Motor vehicle thefts declined 21 percent this month and 27 percent year-to-date, while burglaries decreased 28 percent from July 2024.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025 -
The Congressional Budget Office projected that the administration’s tariff policy would decrease the total deficits by up to $4 trillion over the next decade.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The transit systems that give independence to hundreds of thousands of people living with disabilities will be severely diminished.—
Karen Tamley,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
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Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Despite all the recent tech wealth and tech jobs and development growth, Seattle’s creative community has shrunken, a trend long predating COVID.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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However, prior estimates have varied widely, suggesting that thanks to faulting resulting from cooling, Mercury’s radius has shrunk by anywhere from about 1 to 7 kilometers.—
Sarah Stanley,
Space.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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More similarly tall waves are expected, though they are gradually expected to ebb in the next hours.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
30 July 2025
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The best choices left are Samuel and Bills free agent Rasul Douglas, who is capable but turns 30 in August, his best days ebbing.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Jenkins would play through the 2019 NFL season with the Eagles, but the team declined his final season's option, leaving the veteran safety to become a free agent.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
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The shooting is believed to be gang-related, but Tisch declined to provide further details on motive, citing the ongoing investigation.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The analyst said this credit will remain in place through 2032 and taper off by 2034, providing about $250 million a year in cash generation from 2030 to 2035.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
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The call consists of a line of notes that taper off as the sound spreads, alerting passersby to the presence of a creature in a nearby stream.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
5 Aug. 2025
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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 27 Aug. 2025.
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