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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Research has also shown that being outside in nature can help decrease anxiety, stress, and anger, according to a UC Davis Health blog post.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025 -
The four-seamer might be decreasing in usage, and the worst single pitch in the game - but the great ones have great ones.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 May 2025
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For households, purchasing power diminishes as prices outpace wage growth.—
Kate Nalepinski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Third space leaders rewire the system so people no longer have to shrink, shapeshift, or self-protect just to participate.—
Mary Hemphill, PhD,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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For a short period during the chaos of the early pandemic, the state’s estimates started to diverge from the national estimates for California’s population, but that gap has shrunk as the two sources have largely re-aligned.—
Harriet Blair Rowan,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, foreign tourism to the U.S. seems to be ebbing; March flights dropped 10% from the same time last year, per the Department of Commerce.—
Ben Kesslen,
Quartz,
28 Apr. 2025
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Successive starts by Randy Vásquez (five innings, one hit, one run) on Wednesday, Nick Pivetta (seven innings, three hits, zero runs) on Friday and Hart have served to ebb some concern about a rotation that had an 11.21 ERA and 2.55 WHIP and worked just 17⅔ innings in its previous five-start turn.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Muir declined to speak to The Athletic about the evolution of Stanford athletics.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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Both the Probation Department and DMH declined to comment.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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But the increase in sales could begin to taper off in the coming months.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
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Oftentimes, cybersecurity vendors wax and wane with the quality of their detection capabilities, and management should be able to understand when that once-hot vendor starts to taper off in value.—
Alex Lanstein,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 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 13 May. 2025.
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