variants
or less commonly rachet
1
: a mechanism that consists of a bar or wheel having inclined teeth into which a pawl drops so that motion can be imparted to the wheel or bar, governed, or prevented and that is used in a hand tool (such as a wrench or screwdriver) to allow effective motion in one direction only
2
: a pawl or detent for holding or propelling a toothed wheel
variants
or less commonly rachet
ratcheted also racheted; ratcheting also racheting; ratchets also rachets
: to cause to move by steps or degrees
—usually used with up or down
tried to ratchet down the debt
: to proceed by steps or degrees
Did you know?
Slang Meaning of Ratchet
Ratchet also means “trashy and disorderly, sometimes in a good way.” Learn more>
Synonyms
Examples of ratchet in a Sentence
Verb
news stories about the kidnapping will ratchet down as the weeks go by
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Primack, Axios, 2 Dec. 2024
But given the ratchet's compounding nature, that could change in a hurry were ServiceTitan to stay private longer.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 2 Dec. 2024
Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025
Tensions between the two men ratcheted up a notch when Biden became the Democratic nominee in 2020, putting him head-to-head with Trump, who was running for his second term.
—Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ratchet 
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Noun
This ratchet, however, compounds at 11% per year if ServiceTitan didn't go public within 18 months (i.e., May 2024).
—Dan Primack, Axios, 2 Dec. 2024
But given the ratchet's compounding nature, that could change in a hurry were ServiceTitan to stay private longer.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
Lori Harvey, the stepdaughter of comedy kingpin Steve Harvey, is ratcheting up her sexpot status with her next gig as a Playboy cover model.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2025
Tensions between the two men ratcheted up a notch when Biden became the Democratic nominee in 2020, putting him head-to-head with Trump, who was running for his second term.
—Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ratchet
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Dictionary Entries Near ratchet
Cite this Entry
“Ratchet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratchet. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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