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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratcheting (down)
  1. decreasing
  2. diminishing
  3. ebbing
  4. shrinking
  5. tapering off
  6. falling away
  7. declining
  8. letting up
Verb
  • The researchers’ models suggest that areas near the escarpment could have lost as much as 8 kilometers of rock, with erosion decreasing farther away from the ancient cliff.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • How Perimenopause Affects Bones and Muscle Perimenopause typically begins in a woman’s late 40s or early 50s and lasts about seven years, marked by decreasing estrogen, according to PennState Health.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of decreasing
Verb
  • In the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, France's initial mediating role gave way to a pro-Armenia stance, alienating Baku and diminishing its leverage with Yerevan, which now increasingly favors the US.
    — Kamran Bokhari, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • During Anahulu Ho Emi, the third and final phase, the focus is diminishing, surrendering and reflecting.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 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
  • Unlike American sports, where franchises are locked into profitable leagues, there will always be the threat of relegation and shrinking revenues that trouble those considering entry into the English game.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The most significant signal from the baijiu company’s latest financial report is that the value of Moutai in business negotiations is shrinking, said Dongfang Li, an independent stock analyst.
    — Evelyn Cheng,Jenny Lee, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrinking
Verb
  • Rain chances continue into Thursday, with storm activity tapering off in the evening.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The rain will be tapering off and skies will be clearing in the afternoon.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 July 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
  • The Swift Observatory has been observing the cosmos for more than two-decades, but its rapidly declining orbit has put it in jeopardy of reentering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, authorities criticized John and Patsy for declining formal police interviews for several months.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of declining
Verb
  • After already scoring the best domestic weekend in box-office history, Spider-Man is not letting up.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Shifts in geopolitics, mercurial trade policies and evolving compliance requirements have been reshaping global sourcing, and the changes show no signs of letting up.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 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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Cite this Entry

“Ratcheting (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratcheting%20%28down%29. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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