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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They’re formulated with hydrating ingredients designed to decrease puffiness and help with dark circles.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025 -
Darrow says the orchard’s acreage has decreased by half, mirroring the state’s overall decline since 2000.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But with Burrow now looking likely to miss the majority of the regular season, those chances look severely diminished.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
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One potential problem with this set-up is that the SCORE Act diminishes the role of state law in subject areas traditionally governed by states.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The window to restructure human systems to operate within planetary boundaries is shrinking.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Steadily, climate modelers shrank the grid boxes and incorporated more complex effects, such as those of atmospheric dust.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Little ink has been spilled for the Cats as the team takes on the rare task of sharing a field and a spotlight with a major league franchise, and the team’s attendance has ebbed in this first of three seasons sharing Sutter Health Park with the Athletics.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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His standing among the fanbase continues to ebb, with elimination from the Carabao Cup the latest setback.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ross, one of the Democrats to decline AIPAC money, is a relative centrist, according to a GovTrack scorecard, while Foushee and McGarvey, Kentucky’s only House Democrat, are in the middle of the pack ideologically.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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That has declined over the years because of budget constraints.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the rain chance tapers off on Sunday, with a 40% chance.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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Then the hurricane continued on a more northward path around the islands and finally began weakening after powerful 145 mph winds tapered off.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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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 17 Sep. 2025.
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