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
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It also is used off-label for other kinds of ulcers and has several gynecological uses, including to induce contractions, to decrease blood loss after delivery and to treat miscarriages.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026 -
These efforts decreased spread significantly, according to the report.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Even the most ambitious stories often felt exhausted by the third installment, with diminishing creative and financial returns.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
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Israel has repeatedly criticized the Lebanese government for not doing enough to diminish Hezbollah’s capabilities.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The crackdown—which came amid a shrinking economy, rising costs, tax increases, and Ukrainian drone strikes on the country’s energy sector—led to a rare outburst of public discontent and an equally uncommon acknowledgment of the dissatisfaction from Putin.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Overall grocery basket spends are shrinking 3% to 4% for households that have at least one GLP-1 user and shrinking 7% to 9% for single person households, according to PwC's analysis.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Since then, killings have ebbed from the record high of 81 in 2022.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
8 May 2026
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But the pace at which the increases ebbed differed within that market, in part because its retail structures differed among states and cities.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
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Spatola and his legal team declined to comment immediately after the verdict.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Then Zabinski did the final round after the snow tapered off late Wednesday morning.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
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The rain should begin to taper off sometime midday Monday or Monday afternoon followed by clearing skies and a cooler breeze Monday evening into Tuesday.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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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 10 May. 2026.
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