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
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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
Adam Roy, Outside Online, 17 Jan. 2025
According to the Inquirer, which cites the affidavit, the refrigerator was found wrapped in a sleeping bag, covered in carpet, and secured with blue ratchet straps.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 11 Jan. 2025
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2025
But he’s been ratcheting up the rhetoric and falsehoods from the very start of his second term.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ratchet 
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Noun
More than 70 steel teeth along the frame and seven at the toe provided reliable grip even on icy sections, and ratchet straps on the upper foot kept our tester’s footwear from slipping and sliding during testing in Montana.
—Adam Roy, Outside Online, 17 Jan. 2025
According to the Inquirer, which cites the affidavit, the refrigerator was found wrapped in a sleeping bag, covered in carpet, and secured with blue ratchet straps.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
Artificial intelligence threatens to ratchet up the complexity even more.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 Feb. 2025
But he’s been ratcheting up the rhetoric and falsehoods from the very start of his second term.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ratchet
Articles Related to ratchet
Dictionary Entries Near ratchet
Cite this Entry
“Ratchet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratchet. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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