RATCHET (DOWN) Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

ratchet (down)

verb

variants also rachet (down)

Definition of ratchet (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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratchet (down)

Verb

Net sales decreased 3 percent to $530 million compared to $546 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
No one knows exactly when or by how much mortgage rates will actually decrease.

— Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of decrease

Verb

At least one expert said that some workers could have access to oxygen, but others warned that the chances of finding survivors were diminishing.

— Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Violence diminishes its victims, forcing everyone to play a single thankless role.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminish

Verb

Unless those policies change, a shrinking workforce will cause slower economic growth and lead to more expensive public debt.

— Stuart Anderson, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
This is in part because, whether owing to shrinking foreign-news budgets or to a reluctance to have individual correspondents expound on such a broad array of topics and countries, careers like Ascherson’s barely exist anymore.

— Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of shrink

Verb

As farming ebbed, the water stored in those reservoirs helped the area's cities and suburbs become one of the nation's fastest growing urban areas.

— Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
This is true if focusing on the standard price-to-earnings ratio, which has ebbed from 23 to 20 in the past 10 months.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of ebb

Verb

Castro was released from a Texas jail last week after a judge declined to order his return to Minnesota.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
As a result of these shifts, in the last year, while the Nifty 50 has declined by more than 2%, the Nifty Midcap 150 index is up 10%, as per LSEG data.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of decline

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
Humidity should taper off by Friday as new weather patterns arrive from the Great Plains and southern Canada.

— Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of taper off

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.

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ratbags

ratchet (down)

ratcheted (down)

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Style

“Ratchet (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratchet%20%28down%29. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ratchet (down)

verb

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