variants
also racheted (down)
as in decreased
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 ratcheted (down)
Verb
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The average grade of ore has also diminished by around 40% since 1991, BHP says.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2025 -
The appetite of high street banks for lending has diminished, and investors are now much more focused on profitability and a clear understanding of runway rather than just fueling growth at any cost.—
Paul Klein,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Latino share of the population in that area, a longtime enclave for Puerto Rican families, has shrunk faster than any other group in the last two decades.—
Winnie Hu,
New York Times,
19 Dec. 2024
-
The economy has shrunk by eighty-five per cent during the civil war.—
Robin Wright,
The New Yorker,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Yet the portion of Americans who drink has shrunk in recent years.—
Ivana Saric,
Axios,
3 Jan. 2025
-
However, commercial whaling may have shrunk their populations in certain areas, such as the northeastern North Atlantic, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Homes and green spaces have been swallowed up by the HS2 building work, and trees — some of them hundreds of years old — have been felled.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
8 July 2025
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Winds felled two large pine trees in her neighbors’ yards.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ratcheted (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratcheted%20%28down%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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