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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratchet (down)
Verb
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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 -
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
Verb
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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
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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
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Like Wells, many business owners are thinking of pulling back: perhaps shrink the store's selection so there's less to ship, freeze hiring, pause advertising or developing new products — stop growing and go into survival mode.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
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Now the gap has shrunk to 5.3% behind 2024 and 35% behind 2019.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Yet after two world wars and decades of political and economic decline, London watched as sterling’s global status ebbed away.—
Edward Fishman,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Apr. 2025
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Even though mandates largely fell out of favor as the pandemic ebbed, the outcome of the legal challenge will determine how much power businesses and organizations have to investigate exemption requests in case of a future resurgence, prompting new mandates.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But declining attendances now sees that held in February each year.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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North Little Rock police sought to charge Mary Lee Orsini with murder, but a grand jury declined to indict her -- and McArthur was credited with helping Orsini remain a free woman.—
Tony Holt,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The viewership began to taper off after that point, but TGL’s regular season ratings still averaged 513,000 viewers.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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The winds are expected to taper off Friday, dropping to about 15 miles per hour.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
24 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 19 Apr. 2025.
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