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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Walker said other states have removed the asset calculation and found the error rates have decreased, which means that more federal dollars go toward the SNAP program recipients.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026 -
Robocalls have decreased nationally and in the Chicago area over the past 12 months, in part due to newer federal regulations.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Work remained consistent even if the projects diminished in prestige and quality.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Left unaddressed, a voter in Maryland who prefers a House majority willing to check the power of the White House will have their vote diminished by what Republicans are doing elsewhere in the country.—
Eric H. Holder Jr,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The only way to achieve economic growth in a country with a shrinking labor force is through an explosive boost to productivity.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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And even if Ellison surprises people and actually keeps CNN siloed off from Weiss’s project at CBS, the amount of debt his new company will carry very likely means CNN, already reeling from cuts under current WB Discovery boss David Zaslav’s rule, will see its budget and ambitions shrink.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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West Ham’s defending once caused consternation among the fanbase, but those concerns have slowly ebbed away.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As mentioned earlier, Bragg’s office declined to pursue charges of assaulting an officer during an arraignment on Thursday evening.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Shah Alam was offered the opportunity to make a phone call, but declined, and asked to be taken to the location where he was eventually dropped off, the official said.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After the initial surge following the Tuesday Instagram post upping the reward, the number of calls to the sheriff's department has tapered off, sources said.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Heavy snow will continue Wednesday in Colorado’s mountains before tapering off overnight, according to the National Weather Service.—
Denver Post,
Denver Post,
26 Feb. 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 2 Mar. 2026.
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