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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratcheting (down)
Verb
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John McAdorey / Shutterstock file Flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport faced delays of around 30 minutes late Tuesday afternoon, but the delay times were decreasing, the FAA said.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
8 Oct. 2025 -
It can be tuned to match your weight and riding style simply by increasing or decreasing the air pressure.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But relying on a 35-year-old, who was already showing signs of decline with diminishing velocity, to return to being one of the best pitchers in the sport after Tommy John surgery, is a risk.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Their patches of habitat and their water sources are diminishing; their feeding timeline has grown increasingly erratic, and more barricades are being built all the time, limiting their freedom of movement.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 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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The country’s declining birthrate means a shrinking workforce saddled with supporting a swelling elderly population.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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But in recent years, America has often stopped looking like the global hegemon and started looking like a shrinking superpower.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The season continues through May and June, tapering off after early July, when snow starts to deteriorate.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
25 Sep. 2025
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Now that much of the nation has begun the transition to cheaper winter gasoline and with driving demand seasonally tapering off as temperatures dip, gas prices face additional downward pressure.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
22 Sep. 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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Then come the bones, whose density can begin declining decades before women are routinely screened.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
9 Oct. 2025
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In the face of declining new student enrollment, Duval said the university should instead focus on beefing up its endowment and attracting undergraduates.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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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And there are no signs of letting up as a new nine-month term dawns in October with more major cases awaiting.—
Jan Wolfe,
USA Today,
8 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 14 Oct. 2025.
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