variants
also racheting (down)
as in decreasing
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 ratcheting (down)
Verb
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Despite being a required vaccine in all states to attend public school, rates have been steadily decreasing over the last decade, CDC data shows.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026 -
Monitoring showed that radionuclides such as cesium spread through coastal waters but became diluted and dispersed over time, with levels in most areas farther out in the ocean decreasing and remaining low and relatively stable after the initial release.—
Eduardo B. Farfán,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fans’ attachment is largely to the kids, who aren’t kids anymore, and ’80s nostalgia, which is a diminishing resource.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
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The densest areas fragment first, diminishing further in size.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An outbreak forced farmers and commercial producers to slaughter entire broods of egg-laying hens, but ebbing cases in the second half of last year helped restore egg supplies, said Mark Jordan, the executive director of agricultural research firm LEAP Market Analytics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
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The effects of its costly price war with T-Mobile seem to be ebbing.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Limon’s research, his brother said, focuses on using generative AI to study Florida’s shrinking wetlands.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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Perhaps most jarringly, people harmed by government neglect or corporate abuse often backed movements aimed at shrinking the government even further.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, Ventura County could see wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph, and isolated gusts of 40 mph, starting in the mid-morning and tapering off later in the afternoon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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Storms may organize along frontal boundaries, continuing into the evening before tapering off.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Blue Origin The first stage appeared to work flawlessly, shutting down and falling away as planned about three minutes and nine seconds after liftoff.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
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On Wednesday, Mikel Arteta’s side face Bayer Leverkusen, who sit sixth in the Bundesliga after falling away since their famous unbeaten title-winning season in 2023-24.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Nuggets refused to engage, declining to respond on the off day.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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Variety is tracking which programs could land on the Emmy ballots, and has once again found a declining pool of eligible series.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump had promised a quick operation but the war shows no signs of letting up and peace talks show no outward signs of progress.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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After the intermission, the Wolverines showed no signs of letting up.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ratcheting (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratcheting%20%28down%29. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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