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 study led by Phillips that published last year found that the vaccine reduced signs of chlamydia during a koala's breeding age and decreased death from the disease by 64%.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
14 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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Even if military victory in the conventional sense remains uncertain, Russia has been diminished in ways that extend far beyond the battlefield.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The result can mean fatigue, irritability and diminished mental focus for the individual tasked with working in the heat.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 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
Verb
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His administration’s cuts have already shrunk the agency’s staff.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
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Other tech giants have similarly shrunk their workforce because of AI.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Labor shortages have shrunk harvests while tariffs have upped import prices.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
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My eyes shrunk to slits, trying to spot the glow sticks that The Medellín Cartel had affixed to their bounty, which slowly lit up the water’s surface like fluorescent fireflies.—
Martin Suarez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cal Fire’s newest proposal for Jackson, dubbed AMEX, targets nearly 500 acres with a patchwork of small clearcuts and is silent on tree sizes to be felled.—
John P. O’Brien,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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Footage from the 1966 Italian documentary Africa Addio, of a herd of elephants being felled by both ground hunters and sharpshooters in helicopters, is distressing to watch.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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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His production tapered off a bit thereafter, but this season, general manager Brett Veach thinks Hunt’s full campaign could look a lot more like that initial stretch.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mendoza declined multiple requests for an interview and did not provide comments in response to ProPublica’s letters detailing the case.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
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Citing the ongoing investigation, police declined to release further details.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 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 Sep. 2025.
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