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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Declining spring precipitation and rising temperatures have caused the Colorado’s flow to decrease by nearly 20 percent over the past quarter century.—
Mira Rojanasakul,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026 -
After the 15th Street bike lanes were constructed, bicycle injury crashes decreased by 91 percent, according to the District Department of Transportation.—
Liam Scott,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Waddle’s production diminished the past three years because of myriad factors, including Tagovailoa’s regression, some drops by Waddle and Hill commanding more targets before his September injury last year.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
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Israel’s indie film industry is diminished, squeezed between endless conflict, global boycotts over Gaza and defunding threats from the country’s right-wing government, and hopes are slim for a presence in Cannes this year.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Nexstar-Tegna merger will accelerate exactly that trend, concentrating broadcast power in fewer corporate hands, shrinking independent editorial voices and prioritizing national business interests over local needs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
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Gravitational waves are usually hunted by measuring distance—how space itself stretches and shrinks ever so slightly.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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But the tide began to ebb in recent days, and the Pima County 911 supervisor told CNN the number of credible tips had begun to slow.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One person sustained minor injuries but declined hospitalization.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Over the next 25 years, East Asia, Europe, and Russia will all experience significant population declines.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Officials say blizzard conditions will taper off today after the central Upper Peninsula got a whopping 31 inches of snow on Monday.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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Severe storms are likely to start late morning on Monday and continue the early evening, before tapering off by nighttime.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
16 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 21 Mar. 2026.
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