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
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That’s due to home price growth that is mostly flat or slightly declining because of decreasing demand and increasing supply, according to the National Association of Home Builders.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025 -
This reflectivity is known as albedo, and Earth’s overall albedo has been decreasing for decades.—
Ryan Green,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This pattern of visits from Americans of steadily diminishing rank (watch for a visit from a deputy director of the Fish and Wildlife Service in mid-January) suggests the opposite of sustained attention.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
26 Oct. 2025
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Hormone therapy is often an effective option for menopausal women who are experiencing these uncomfortable symptoms due to the diminishing levels of ovarian hormones.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In ‘04, three seasons after the last of five national championships, Miami’s glory-days era was ebbing.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the second quarter, while many fast-food rivals reported shrinking sales, Taco Bell reported same-store sales growth of 4%.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
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But shrinking pixels isn’t simple.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Moreover, heavy snow will develop over the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Tuesday, tapering off by Wednesday.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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Williams added that the underlying drivers of the silver market show no sign of tapering off, suggesting the bull run on silver could be sustained well into 2026.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Like a snake shedding its skin, The Girlfriend’s expendable outer layers are falling away to reveal a more interesting core.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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Gallagher had an underwhelming first year with Atletico, which started well before falling away, and now finds himself no longer a first choice for coach Diego Simeone.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Contract options exercised for 4 The club exercised contract options on Stephen Afrifa, Zorhan Bassong, Jansen Miller and John Pulskamp, while declining options for Tim Leibold, Nemanja Radoja, Ryan Schewe, Shelton and Mason Toye.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
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However, her cousin the followed up, and the OP wrote back declining the invite.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tropical Storm Melissa continues to spin in the central Caribbean Sea and is showing no signs of letting up.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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The expansion is being fueled by its cloud infrastructure business as demand for AI is showing no signs of letting up.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
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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 28 Oct. 2025.
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