ratcheting (up)

verb

variants also racheting (up)
present participle of ratchet (up)
as in bumping (up)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratcheting (up)
  1. building up
  2. pumping up
Verb
  • China is building up its military and AI capabilities despite limited access to advanced computer chips.
    — Josh Boak, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Boone said the final few steps for Judge’s return include building up his workload because he has been sidelined for over three months with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of building up
Verb
  • Google has been pumping up its cloud revenue by making its tensor processing units for AI available outside its own facilities.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2026
  • When showing a complex picture with many different hues next to each other, though, pumping up the output of individual LED colors can cause the edges of those hues to tint and warp.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pumping 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

ratcheting (down)
ratcheting (up)
ratchets (down)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ratcheting (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratcheting%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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