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
-
And the over-all number of abortions in the U.S. may eventually decrease as a result of Dobbs.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025 -
On the other hand, just 5 percent said tariffs would decrease prices in the short term, and 30 percent said the policy would lower prices in the long term.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The previous six champions were all diminished the following season by either injuries or significant roster changes.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Lacy turned himself in to police on Jan. 12, but his NFL Draft prospects were significantly diminished by the wreck.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
These sprays shrink the blood vessels in your nasal passages.—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2025
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The number shrank during Italy’s postwar economic boom as residents moved to the mainland for more modern housing — including indoor plumbing, which was lacking in Venice.—
Colleen Barry,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Many states beefed up staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting workers from other parts of state unemployment agencies to customer service, but moved them back to their old positions as the spike in applications ebbed, Traub said.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Laying out two scenarios for what the duties eventually will look like, Waller said larger and longer-lasting tariffs would bring a larger inflation spike initially to a 4% to 5% range that eventually would ebb as growth slowed and unemployment increased.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
County officials declined to comment on the civil lawsuit.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The hospital declined to say whether Ikner was one of their patients.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But by the 1940s and ’50s, organ-meat consumption had begun to taper off.—
Valerie Trapp,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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Winds will remain gusty throughout the afternoon, then taper off around sunset.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2025
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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 28 Apr. 2025.
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