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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratchet (down)
Verb
-
Iron Ore production decreased by 4.5% to 67.7 million metric tons due to heavy rainfall in Brazil.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025 -
Nord decreased our upload speeds by 38.37% and our latency by 29.26%.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
Give credit without diminishing your own contributions.—
Marvin Krislov,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
The layoffs of tens of thousands of staff across the federal government are a critical piece of a push by the Republican president and billionaire adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the federal government and drastically cut spending.—
Daniel Wiessner,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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The fish that shrank, the study found, had a much higher chance of surviving.—
Benji Jones,
Vox,
23 May 2025
Verb
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In short, geopolitical norms have been ebbed away and military actions that were once deemed red lines are crossed with little accountability.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 May 2025
-
Even as the fighting has begun to ebb, many of the war’s key players are unwilling to engage in a settlement that would end the stream of profits generated by their war machines.—
Mai Hassan,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo declined to comment on the WSJ report.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
-
The State Department declined to comment on the pope’s status.—
Russ Bynum,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
Verb
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The Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service expects more rain and drizzle for the metro on Wednesday, with a high of 51 Rain showers are likely for most of the area today, the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service reports, but will taper off from north to south tonight.—
John Autey,
Twin Cities,
21 May 2025
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The rain started to taper off as the diamond dry was applied to the dirt and the game was paused for several minutes.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
15 May 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 30 May. 2025.
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