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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratcheting (down)
Verb
-
Extortion is also a crime that worries authorities, although cases appear to be decreasing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026 -
But an album rollout is costly and seeing an ever-decreasing return on investment.—
Michaelangelo Matos,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Puerto Rico is missing Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa due to insurance restrictions, considerably diminishing their firepower, but have solid pitching and the advantage of playing at home in their group stage.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Palomar’s 48 partner agencies are similarly affected by diminishing VOCA funds.—
Maddy Keyes,
The Frontier,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
They wed in September 2021, in the ebbing months of the pandemic.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
Over recent years, Illinois has seen a flock of corporations flee to more tax-friendly locations, which means shrinking tax collections and fewer employees to contribute to the income- tax pool.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
But results from the new polls indicate the likelihood of that happening is shrinking.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The last push of the system looks to be around mid-morning on Wednesday before tapering off through the end of the morning.—
Karen Carter,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The storm will make travel in the foothills and mountains difficult on Friday before tapering off Friday night.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, Mikel Arteta’s side face Bayer Leverkusen, who sit sixth in the Bundesliga after falling away since their famous unbeaten title-winning season in 2023-24.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
That means some of the oddball stuff that had a moment toward the end of the Peak TV boom is falling away, sadly — no one’s greenlighting something as off kilter as The OA or Servant these days.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Instead of coming from declining direct-to-home satellite taxes, the money would come directly from state sales and use taxes.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The exchange came a week after the US and Israel began striking the Islamic Republic in a war that shows no sign of letting up.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
An anti-corruption campaign launched by Xi shows no sign of letting up after more than a decade.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2026.
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