RATCHET (DOWN) Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

ratchet (down)

verb

variants also rachet (down)

Definition of ratchet (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

Telecom stocks — Shares of AT & T and T-Mobile fell more than 5% each, while Verizon shares decreased 1% on a Bloomberg News report that SpaceX is in private talks to lease 80,000 cell towers.

— Paulina Likos, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
As technology has advanced, launch costs have decreased, and satellites have become more efficient, smaller and cheaper to build.

— David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of decrease

Verb

Members of Congress could be expected to resist presidential encroachments because those encroachments diminished their own power.

— Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
In theory, such an arrangement diminishes the cells’ ability to transport oxygen from the lungs.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminish

Verb

But the Chicago Board of Education oversees a $10 billion budget, larger than many big cities, along with aging buildings, ballooning debt and shrinking enrollment.

— Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
An Egyptian court ordered the closure of one of Egypt’s last independent news outlets Tuesday after convicting its editor-in-chief of operating a website without a license in a major blow to the country's shrinking press freedom.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of shrink

Verb

Central bank holdings at the New York Fed declined 40 tonnes in August, Goldman added, while holdings at the Bank of England rose 46 tonnes.

— Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
For this story, however, the district declined to comment due to Ortiz’s lawsuit, which is ongoing.

— Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of decline

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

ratbags

ratchet (down)

ratcheted (down)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ratchet (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratchet%20%28down%29. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ratchet (down)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes