RATCHETING (DOWN) Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

ratcheting (down)

verb

variants also racheting (down)

present participle of ratchet (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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratcheting (down)

Verb

Adjustable mattresses were meant to make some of that guesswork easier, but the category has long been associated with airbeds that change firmness by increasing or decreasing pressure inside the mattress.

— Malana VanTyler, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Standard gas pressure spreads out across the rock formations, homogenizing subterranean forces and actually decreasing the risk of the fault slipping over time.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of decreasing

Verb

Between terrorism and global warming and diminishing natural resources, the world is out of balance.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Basic tasks like summarization, translation and drafting offer diminishing differentiation as tools become widespread.

— Fabio Caversan, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminishing

Verb

The autocracies are surging, and democracies ebbing.

— Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
That number has fluctuated from a high of 115,000 in May to a low of about 16,000 on the day before this column was published, ebbing and flowing as tickets were purchased, new batches were released and FIFA (maybe) pulled back others.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 10 June 2026

Definition of ebbing

Verb

But Moody’s says the fiscal pressures from aging emerge long before populations actually start shrinking.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
Part of the reason for his town’s interest, Brule said, is the need to make up for shrinking tax revenues from Millstone, which experienced a decline in property values following deregulation.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of shrinking

Verb

Al-Deek says relief can come from a few different directions — hormone replacement therapy, switching to a different antidepressant, adjusting your dose or tapering off the medication altogether.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026
Rain chances continue into Thursday, with storm activity tapering off in the evening.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of tapering off

Verb

When algorithms see these frictions falling away, the need for a driver premium plummets, deflating the surge price.

— Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
But the memorandum drafted between Kyiv and Washington on an early-stage drone deal appears to suggest those obstacles may be falling away.

— Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 12 May 2026

Definition of falling away

Verb

Local officials and school leaders have linked the shortage of family housing to declining enrollment in the Davis Joint Unified School District, which is weighing school closures.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
And the Civilian Oversight Commission filed suit against the department in June for declining to provide certain records related to three cases of use of force the commission issued subpoenas for in February 2025.

— Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

With protests against the moves beginning to take shape, the crackdowns show no signs of letting up, even as international attention and condemnation begins to pour in.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
But on this Labor Day, working people are struggling amid an affordability crisis that shows no signs of letting up.

— Mario Cilento, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of letting up

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ratcheted (up)

ratcheting (down)

ratcheting (up)

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“Ratcheting (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratcheting%20%28down%29. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ratcheting (down)

verb

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