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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratchet (down)
Verb
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Guests can participate in coral reef restoration, ecological monitoring and other hands-on initiatives that help decrease The Nam Hai’s environmental footprint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026 -
The agency waived age limits for new recruits, relaxed its vetting process, and decreased the training period for incoming officers.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
How diminished will their opportunities for success be in the real world?—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Lightning is diminishing over shipping lanes as a result of the use of cleaner fuel.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Framed as deregulation, the bill sets a statewide minimum lot size of 1,500 square feet while also shrinking setbacks and eliminating dimensional requirements that could stand in the way of building multiple compact homes on at least four acres of land.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
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Each episode follows Patouille, a small creature who can shrink and explore the inside of plants, and Momo, her companion, who has the ability to accelerate time.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Emotions rose as the fleeting phase of totality continued to ebb away with the moon lost from sight behind a veil of clouds.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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Where this all goes, whether ESAs will continue to shake up the education landscape in Iowa, or the tremors will ebb, only the coming years will tell.—
Mike Trautmann,
Des Moines Register,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the years-long investigation, Cherfilus-McCormick declined interview requests from the committee and provided little to no defense against the committee’s allegations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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Some declined to provide their full names, citing safety concerns.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Acuna’s show business resume tapers off in the mid-2010’s, according to IMDB.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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In Houston’s climate, some pollen may appear as early as January, but concentrations typically peak in early to mid-spring before tapering off.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
24 Mar. 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 28 Mar. 2026.
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