variants
also rachet (down)
as in to decrease
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 ratchet (down)
Verb
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Newsom claims homelessness decline Newsom during his final State of the State address Thursday claimed the state’s homeless population decreased last year.—
Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 10 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, the number of job openings have decreased nearly 10% on the year to 729,000 in the September to November period from a year ago, the ONS found.—
Verb
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Still seething after a sloppy 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions, Johnson wasn’t hiding his dissatisfaction with a defeat that seemed to diminish his team’s momentum.—
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Kaufman moved there 30 years ago, and since that time the island’s community has diminished by degrees, its youth lured away by better employment prospects in Provo and overseas.—
Verb
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But the commissioners remain firm that too many solar projects could shrink the supply of local farmland and impact the county’s food production.—
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The Xiaomi surged ahead, and Mat reacted in disbelief as the Ferrari shrank in his mirrors.—
Verb
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The state’s political appetite to keep transitioning away from oil has been clearly ebbing as residents balk at the cost of everything in California, most notably the chronically high cost of gasoline and the periodic spikes during a hiccup in production.—
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Daylight was ebbing as rescuers set up.—
Verb
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Trey Rose, 27, who was also arrested, met Samson Nacua at another location and got in the car, also not knowing the car belonged to someone else, according to a sheriff’s detective who declined to be named.—
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On Wednesday, a federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order to halt the operations.—
Verb
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Things tapered off, though in 2016, Pittsburgh was one win from reaching another Super Bowl.—
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The threat gradually tapers off later Friday as the system moves east and winds slowly diminish.—
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Cite this Entry
“Ratchet (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratchet%20%28down%29. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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