ratchets (down)

verb

variants also rachets (down)
present tense third-person singular of ratchet (down)
as in decreases
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually news stories about the kidnapping will ratchet down as the weeks go by

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratchets (down)
  1. decreases
  2. diminishes
  3. ebbs
  4. shrinks
  5. tapers off
  6. declines
Verb
  • The front finally moves through on Friday, but some heavy rain will still be possible early, before the chance of rain decreases into the weekend.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Nebraska researchers also found that hafnia becomes more stable as its thickness decreases.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of decreases
Verb
  • By effectively raising the threshold in the playoffs, the NFL acknowledges that over-officiating diminishes the product and that marginal penalties should not decide its most important games.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Subtracting LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges somewhat diminishes the overall talent, but Charlotte wanted Miller and Knueppel to usher them into the next era.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • The district’s cash on hand naturally ebbs and flows depending on when revenue arrives, but repeated Cook County property tax delays last year have deepened the problem.
    — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
  • Participation ebbs and flows with the economy, dropping to 35 million in 2019.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
Definition of ebbs
Verb
  • As groundwater shrinks, those like Jan who can afford the upfront cost keep digging deeper; those who can’t rely on expensive tanker water or hand pumps at mosques.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Over the six episodes, alliances shift, egos clash, and pressure builds as the group shrinks.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrinks
Verb
  • Activity scheduling generally follows daily circadian rhythms, so more intensive experiences are clustered in the mornings, with a smattering in the afternoon that tapers off in time for slow sunset yoga or meditation.
    — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If gravel tapers off at the edges of your garden, weeds will easily find their way into the soil below and germinate.
    — Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tapers off
Verb
  • Hur’s film declines to name a culprit, and its detractors argue the open ending points the finger at Park Chung-hee or his government.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Don’t wait until performance declines to question your systems, structure or strategy.
    — James Barlow, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of declines
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

ratcheting (up)
ratchets (down)
ratchets (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Ratchets (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratchets%20%28down%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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