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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Satellite images collected from the region since 2009 indicate that the population of Emperor penguins in Antarctica has been decreasing for about a decade, Phillip Trathan, member of the IUCN's Penguin Specialist Group, told ABC News.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026 -
This includes shoplifting, which dropped by nearly 3%; thefts from vehicles falling by 31%; and thefts of motor vehicle parts decreasing by about 27%, the report said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Blue Lagoon Cruises said pumpable fuel as well as other oils stored onboard the ship had been removed by Monday, diminishing environmental risks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But the distinctions between these visions of the world are diminishing.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An outbreak forced farmers and commercial producers to slaughter entire broods of egg-laying hens, but ebbing cases in the second half of last year helped restore egg supplies, said Mark Jordan, the executive director of agricultural research firm LEAP Market Analytics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The effects of its costly price war with T-Mobile seem to be ebbing.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Connecticut hospitals were struggling due to the provider tax and shrinking federal support well before the coronavirus pandemic placed them under unprecedented economic strain in 2020 and 2021.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
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But despite this compact, which the states are renegotiating in 2026, the basin’s water supply is shrinking.—
Dave White,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Saturday, Ventura County could see wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph, and isolated gusts of 40 mph, starting in the mid-morning and tapering off later in the afternoon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Storms may organize along frontal boundaries, continuing into the evening before tapering off.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 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
-
Antarctic sea ice is declining at record rates, according to climate scientists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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The new listings, published Wednesday by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, cite factors such as warming ocean waters, melting sea ice and declining availability of food to sustain such species.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump had promised a quick operation but the war shows no signs of letting up and peace talks show no outward signs of progress.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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After the intermission, the Wolverines showed no signs of letting up.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
29 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 11 Apr. 2026.
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