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
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026 -
As the war in Iran rages on, both rising oil prices and consumers’ decreasing desire to jet-set in uncertain times hang like a dark cloud over the industry, threatening to upend air travel across the world.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Together, the potential departures of two of Kansas City’s most experienced lawmakers — one on his own terms, one forced — could play a role in shaping the city’s future and diminish its ability to secure local priorities at the federal level.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Some of the gags are inspired, some are exasperating, none of them are presented in a way that suggests the filmmakers know the difference, and all of them are shoved down your throat until they’re diminished enough to swallow.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Telescopes and microscopes were everywhere by then, shrinking and stretching the Earth and sky and, in the process, expanding archaeological time from centuries to eons.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
If the overall workforce continues to shrink, even fewer new jobs will be needed to incorporate workers entering the labor force, such as recent college graduates or parents who put their careers on hold for a few years.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An outbreak forced farmers and commercial producers to slaughter entire broods of egg-laying hens, but ebbing cases in the second half of last year helped restore egg supplies, said Mark Jordan, the executive director of agricultural research firm LEAP Market Analytics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This in a year when share buybacks are ebbing due to huge capital-spending demands.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both declined interview requests.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The Backstreet Boys member attempted to use the video to press battery charges against Gallagher, but prosecutors declined to do so after seeing the video supported Gallagher's version of events, per the outlet.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, Ventura County could see wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph, and isolated gusts of 40 mph, starting in the mid-morning and tapering off later in the afternoon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
That improvement tapered off, however, over the course of the last two weeks.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 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 4 Apr. 2026.
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