How to Use ratchet in a Sentence

ratchet

1 of 2 noun
  • And now comes the next ratchet notch.
    — Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Leia grabbed a ratchet wrench and tightened some loose bolts on the ship.
    — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The most common load binder in use today is the ratchet kind.
    — Bob Beacham, chicagotribune.com, 15 Mar. 2021
  • The researchers propose these pulling chains could act like force ratchets.
    — Rohini Subrahmanyam, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The shorts tended to ride high on the waist, thanks to the secure fit of the ratchet.
    — Nikki Rohan, Outside Online, 14 Oct. 2022
  • The pop-out roof panel is now attached with three hand levers rather than four bolts and a ratchet wrench.
    — Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023
  • But when those spaces get really tight, even the best ratchet can fail.
    — New Atlas, 21 Nov. 2025
  • The ratchet lock allows the head to move up freely, but not down until the lever is released.
    — Talon Homer, Popular Mechanics, 17 June 2022
  • It was secured with ratchet straps and wrapped around carpet and blankets.
    — Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Use an open-end or ratchet wrench to tighten the lagscrews, but do not overtighten them.
    — Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 5 June 2021
  • It’s built up so well, with little moments of relief that ratchet right back up again.
    — Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Both models include a 1/4-inch drive ratchet, as well as drill bits.
    — Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 2 Mar. 2021
  • The clamps come off easily with a ratchet and socket and two guys can lift the deck on or off the boat.
    — Michael R. Shea, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2020
  • The astronauts had to use a ratchet wrench to deal with the more stubborn bolts, which slowed them down.
    — Marcia Dunn, orlandosentinel.com, 1 Mar. 2021
  • Pruning shears are available in bypass, anvil, ratchet, and straight-blade.
    — Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2023
  • The ratchet is a cornerstone of any toolbox.
    — New Atlas, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Once the water has been squeezed out, simply push a button to release the mop head from the ratchet.
    — Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2023
  • One irony of ratchet loans, is that the investors get paid more if the companies fail to meet their objectives.
    — Paul J. Davies, WSJ, 4 May 2021
  • The first round of ratchet talks will take place in Glasgow next November.
    — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 27 Nov. 2019
  • An exciting finish to the first half, which saw Spain ratchet up the pressure but fail to score.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
  • Nylon ratchet straps or ropes are recommended to keep the tree secure.
    — Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 12 Dec. 2025
  • Doing so engages the clutch and ratchet mechanisms built into the crank.
    — New Atlas, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Soon both cars are loaded onto the trucks, where their wheels are secured to the truck beds with ratchet straps to prevent movement.
    — Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2023
  • For pulling power at a distance of up to 100 feet, a ratchet puller meant to work with a long rope can get the job done.
    — The Editors, Outdoor Life, 22 Nov. 2020
  • There’s no end to the practicality of the ratchet puller, also known as a come-along or a power puller.
    — The Editors, Field & Stream, 14 Sep. 2020
  • The latest Wicked movies ratchet this iconography up even higher.
    — Time, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Your Questions, Answered What is the most used turning tool or ratchet size?
    — Sarah Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2023
  • The average set will include different sized sockets and a ratchet wrench.
    — Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Things go in cycles, ratchet music included.
    — Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
  • If you’re headed out into mixed conditions and never want to touch a strap or ratchet a binding again, this is the snowshoe for you.
    — Benjamin Tepler, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026

ratchet

2 of 2 verb
  • But the past few days, he's ratcheted up his threats.
    — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Rhetoric between the two sides ratcheted up over the weekend.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
  • As the war in Iran ratchets up, the price of crude oil has been swinging sharply.
    — Cathy Bussewitz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • That ratcheted up the pressure on him heading into this year.
    — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
  • The enzyme feeds the strand through the nanopore with a ratcheting motion, base by base.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
  • And the consultants come in and ratchet up the rewards.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2026
  • The film ratchets up Bobby’s menace and expands his role in the plot.
    — EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • As screws tightened to ratchet up the pressure, the blue turned into a blushing tint.
    — Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2023
  • Thank screen or email apnea for ratcheting up your stress levels in the moment.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The physicality of this game has ratcheted up on this drive.
    — Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 31 Dec. 2025
  • The violent scenes from the mosque ratcheted up tensions across the region.
    — Josef Federman, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Jost simply ratcheted up the volume and the attacks on soldiers’ physiques.
    — Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The new agreement does not ratchet up calls for reducing emissions.
    — Seth Borenstein, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Nov. 2022
  • This has ratcheted up tensions heading into Seville this week.
    — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2023
  • Breaker bars are another type of wrench that are non-ratcheting and can loosen nuts that are very tight or stuck in place.
    — Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The tension between them keeps ratcheting up.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
  • A number of factors have combined to ratchet up the tension behind the counter.
    — Marley Jay, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2023
  • And as the murders across the city continue to ratchet up with the summer heat, something has to give.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • And the plot is steadily ratcheted up to keep this 80-minute play from souring like a vegetable dip left out too long.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023
  • As the band ratcheted the excitement up with its powerful grooves, the voltage in the air of club asia reached its peak.
    — Billboard Japan, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2023
  • Lynching hasn’t stopped in America, and in fact, it’s been ratcheting up again.
    — Vulture, 20 Sep. 2023
  • That’s the case every year, but some years how close that feels to a reality ratchets up the urgency.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 9 June 2026
  • But there are some red flags to pay attention to, that tell you your anxiety has ratcheted up to harmful levels.
    — Marisa Cohen, Good Housekeeping, 26 Mar. 2023
  • Inflation in living costs ratcheted up union salary demands even further.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
  • The Texans will hope to hit on a big play early so the Ravens can’t play from ahead and ratchet up the pressure.
    — Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Maybe there’s something about a rivalry that ratchets everything up to a higher gear.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
  • Union leaders had ratcheted up pressure in the negotiations, and over the last week have pushed for faster progress in the talks.
    — Kelly Yamanouchi The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (tns), al, 5 July 2023
  • In an election year, this debate will only ratchet up as politicians take sides, Eberle added.
    — Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024
  • When the game is on the line or when the pressure ratchets up, instead of getting overcome by nerves, these athletes simply act.
    — Cassie Shortsleeve, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2023
  • Many had already locked in their plans with vendors and customers and couldn’t just ratchet up prices overnight to offset the impact of a trade war.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ratchet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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