ratchets (down)

verb

variants also rachets (down)
present tense third-person singular of ratchet (down)
as in decreases
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 ratchets (down)
  1. decreases
  2. diminishes
  3. ebbs
  4. shrinks
  5. tapers off
  6. declines
Verb
  • If the vehicle slows significantly below the required speed, the normal force between its tires and the tunnel surface decreases, increasing the risk of losing contact.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that AI adoption in manufacturing initially decreases productivity before ultimately helping workers achieve long-term gains.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of decreases
Verb
  • Screening cover diminishes, and the birds will almost always be in lowland covers that offer both security and food.
    — Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • When your nervous system becomes overwhelmed, your ability to access your best thinking, empathy, creativity and judgment diminishes.
    — Sharon A. Kuhn, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • The district’s cash on hand naturally ebbs and flows depending on when revenue arrives, but repeated Cook County property tax delays last year have deepened the problem.
    — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
  • Participation ebbs and flows with the economy, dropping to 35 million in 2019.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
Definition of ebbs
Verb
  • As Venus moves closer to Earth in its orbit, its apparent size increases, even as the illuminated portion shrinks.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The victorious stream grows longer and carries more water, while the losing stream shrinks or disappears.
    — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrinks
Verb
  • Acuna’s show business resume tapers off in the mid-2010’s, according to IMDB.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
  • After the strongest storms move out, colder air will settle in with the possibility of a few wet snowflakes before the precipitation tapers off.
    — Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of tapers off
Verb
  • Fraud alerts, transaction declines, connectivity issues, or differences in merchant systems can create interruptions at inconvenient moments.
    — TD Bank, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Other studies show that academic outcomes fall when funding declines.
    — Jason Burns, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of declines
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 (up)
ratchets (down)
ratchets (up)
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Cite this Entry

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

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