variants
also racheting (down)
as in decreasing
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 ratcheting (down)
Verb
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These changes were to be achieved by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreasing the consumption of meat and eggs, and substituting nonfat milk for whole milk.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026 -
In addition, federal funding is decreasing.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fans’ attachment is largely to the kids, who aren’t kids anymore, and ’80s nostalgia, which is a diminishing resource.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
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The densest areas fragment first, diminishing further in size.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An outbreak forced farmers and commercial producers to slaughter entire broods of egg-laying hens, but ebbing cases in the second half of last year helped restore egg supplies, said Mark Jordan, the executive director of agricultural research firm LEAP Market Analytics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The effects of its costly price war with T-Mobile seem to be ebbing.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hospitals also have struggled for decades with Medicaid rates that cover an ever-shrinking share of the cost of treating poor patients.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Software headcount is shrinking.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There may be some consolation in the fact that some housing experts, like Cotality's chief economist, Selma Hepp, think that the recent period of skyrocketing housing costs may be tapering off.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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On Saturday, Ventura County could see wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph, and isolated gusts of 40 mph, starting in the mid-morning and tapering off later in the afternoon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Blue Origin The first stage appeared to work flawlessly, shutting down and falling away as planned about three minutes and nine seconds after liftoff.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
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On Wednesday, Mikel Arteta’s side face Bayer Leverkusen, who sit sixth in the Bundesliga after falling away since their famous unbeaten title-winning season in 2023-24.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Reports in 2024 and 2025 indicated declining health, including low blood pressure, dizziness and heart problems, but these claims could not be independently verified.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Now these countries, like much of the world, are facing declining birth rates that threaten to upend their economies.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Running a tight 95 minutes, and never letting up for one of them, Apex is yet another perfect showcase for Theron’s exceptional physical talents as the premier female action star working in movies.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
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Trump had promised a quick operation but the war shows no signs of letting up and peace talks show no outward signs of progress.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ratcheting (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratcheting%20%28down%29. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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