ratchets (down)

verb

variants also rachets (down)
present tense third-person singular of ratchet (down)
as in decreases
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 ratchets (down)
  1. decreases
  2. diminishes
  3. ebbs
  4. shrinks
  5. tapers off
  6. declines
Verb
  • This number obviously decreases as planes are taking off and landing around airports, where air traffic controllers are able to maintain safe distances between flights.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The resulting design of the mouse decreases its overall footprint while retaining the stability of a familiar symmetrical profile.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of decreases
Verb
  • Johnson views the phrase as symbolic of a broader cultural problem, arguing that celebrating a reputation built on violence diminishes the hundreds of lives lost over the years.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But those behavior answers are rooted in action, and that diminishes the power of hope as a spiritual idea.
    — Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • The district’s cash on hand naturally ebbs and flows depending on when revenue arrives, but repeated Cook County property tax delays last year have deepened the problem.
    — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
  • Participation ebbs and flows with the economy, dropping to 35 million in 2019.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
Definition of ebbs
Verb
  • This is most evident in Sport mode, where the car almost shrinks in size.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 29 July 2026
  • The department shrinks, and eventually it is forced to close.
    — Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of shrinks
Verb
  • Acuna’s show business resume tapers off in the mid-2010’s, according to IMDB.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
  • After the strongest storms move out, colder air will settle in with the possibility of a few wet snowflakes before the precipitation tapers off.
    — Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of tapers off
Verb
  • When the foliage declines the bulbs, actually tubers, rest before restarting growth the following spring.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Supreme Court declines to hear appeal After the injunction was granted earlier this month, Schwab immediately asked the Kansas Supreme Court to act on the matter.
    — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of declines
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

ratcheting (up)
ratchets (down)
ratchets (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ratchets (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratchets%20%28down%29. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All