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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratcheting (down)
Verb
-
The biggest shift in the financial model of newspapers that has occurred in the transition from print to digital is a decreasing reliance on advertising and an increasing reliance on direct payments from subscribers.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026 -
The formulation hits all the targets my tired eyes crave—brightening dark circles, decreasing puffiness, and reducing the look of fine lines.—
Cathy Nelson,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Her authority has been challenged in several high-profile cases, diminishing hopes in both progressive and populist MAGA circles for tough antitrust enforcement.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The tiredness of the players has a diminishing effect on the level of spectacle and the games and goals become unmemorable.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
They wed in September 2021, in the ebbing months of the pandemic.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The state’s political appetite to keep transitioning away from oil has been clearly ebbing as residents balk at the cost of everything in California, most notably the chronically high cost of gasoline and the periodic spikes during a hiccup in production.—
Tom Philp,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That legacy hasn’t disappeared, but it is increasingly strained under the weight of rising needs and shrinking staff capacity.—
Patrick Mahoney,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
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But shares in open float have been shrinking.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After reaching peak market saturation, interest is tapering off.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Precipitation is expected to start Monday night with the heaviest precipitation Tuesday before tapering off by Wednesday.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Away from McDavid and Draisaitl, a group is flourishing, but veterans who were counted on are falling away and losing playing time.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
-
True dandruff usually appears as larger white-to-yellow flakes with a slightly oily texture that stick to the scalp and hair rather than falling away like fine powder.—
Allure,
Allure,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, lung cancer incidence rates are declining slower in Iowa than in other states.—
Cami Koons,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Measles-vaccination rates have been steadily declining for several years; since last January, the country has logged its two largest measles epidemics in more than three decades.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The brutal cold is not letting up in Milwaukee as temperatures continue in the negatives this weekend.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Boston kept attacking to start the third quarter with Derrick White not letting up and setting the tone for the second half with a steal and layup.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
18 Jan. 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 12 Feb. 2026.
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