variants
also racheting (down)
as in decreasing
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 ratcheting (down)
Verb
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The bill prohibits cities and counties from decreasing funding for public safety, which representatives from the local governments say isn’t possible.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026 -
The goal is to minimize traffic spillover onto surrounding streets while providing more reliable travel times for people in cars and freight trucks and decreasing travel times for buses.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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All there is to do, sometimes, is know in your heart of hearts that a nuanced piece of literature and a provocative and deviant piece of pop culture can exist alongside each other without one diminishing the other.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
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The airport’s current name is widely recognized and respected, and altering it would only create confusion while diminishing the local identity.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They wed in September 2021, in the ebbing months of the pandemic.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
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The state’s political appetite to keep transitioning away from oil has been clearly ebbing as residents balk at the cost of everything in California, most notably the chronically high cost of gasoline and the periodic spikes during a hiccup in production.—
Tom Philp,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Industrial push The race to perfect robots and automate is part of Beijing’s sweeping push to upgrade the country’s manufacturing capabilities and defend its position as the world’s factory floor in a new era of high tech, rising labor costs and a shrinking workforce.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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When snowpack runs low, the effects ripple months later — shrinking reservoirs, stressed supplies, and tougher water decisions as temperatures rise.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The entire event lasts for about 12 hours, tapering off by midnight.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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The heaviest snow and strongest winds are likely Wednesday, with conditions gradually tapering off late Wednesday.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sunrays strobed down through the water, illuminating layer upon layer of marine life, falling away to the ocean floor some 15 feet below.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
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Away from McDavid and Draisaitl, a group is flourishing, but veterans who were counted on are falling away and losing playing time.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump has broken with custom by declining to invite all governors to the traditional White House meeting and dinner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Today, magnet programs have become a general recruitment strategy in a school system with declining enrollment.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The heaviest rainfall will continue to focus over the windward portions of the islands, letting up Monday afternoon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Large, fluffy flakes fell for nearly 45 minutes near Interstate 77 Brawley School Road exit 35 and wasn’t letting up toward noon.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ratcheting (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratcheting%20%28down%29. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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