ratchet (down)

verb

variants also rachet (down)
Definition of ratchet (down)next
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)
  1. decrease
  2. diminish
  3. shrink
  4. ebb
  5. decline
  6. taper off
Verb
  • Her priorities include lowering costs by expanding Medicaid, fully funded pre-kindergarten and decreasing property taxes in a sustainable way.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Taurine is a checkpoint of inflammation Dixit expected that taurine levels might decrease with age.
    — Kristel Tjandra, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • Members of Congress could be expected to resist presidential encroachments because those encroachments diminished their own power.
    — Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In theory, such an arrangement diminishes the cells’ ability to transport oxygen from the lungs.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • But the Chicago Board of Education oversees a $10 billion budget, larger than many big cities, along with aging buildings, ballooning debt and shrinking enrollment.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • An Egyptian court ordered the closure of one of Egypt’s last independent news outlets Tuesday after convicting its editor-in-chief of operating a website without a license in a major blow to the country's shrinking press freedom.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrink
Verb
  • The golden era of sports print journalism ebbed and began to die.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The new era of worker power that labor advocates proclaimed as the pandemic ebbed was something of a chimera.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of ebb
Verb
  • By comparison, reported federal employment declined by 4% among all other races included in the survey.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Salazar acknowledged polling had been conducted for strategic purposes, but declined to share it.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • Rain is expected to taper off after Tuesday morning's commute in Minnesota.
    — Katie Steiner, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The new policy would halt surgeries, taper off hormones and end social accommodations like makeup and wigs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of taper off
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

ratbags
ratchet (down)
ratcheted (down)
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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 31 Oct. 2026.

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