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>
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
Miles Doran, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Pitching a tent above ground is fun, but lugging a big, 45-lb (20-kg) duffel bag of heavy canvas and ratchet straps through the forest is not.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The deal ratchets up competition between Amazon's burgeoning satellite internet service and Starlink for a slice of the in-flight Wi-Fi market, even as Musk's satellite network remains far ahead in its satellite deployment and global service.
—Joey Roulette, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ratchet
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Noun
The Crew Module side hatch cover is removed, and the seals are greased, cleaned and inspected before the 500-pound hatch door is shut and latched using special tools, including a socket wrench and ratchet.
—Miles Doran, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Pitching a tent above ground is fun, but lugging a big, 45-lb (20-kg) duffel bag of heavy canvas and ratchet straps through the forest is not.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
These systems are now making their space debut on Artemis II, ratcheting up the risk.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The deal ratchets up competition between Amazon's burgeoning satellite internet service and Starlink for a slice of the in-flight Wi-Fi market, even as Musk's satellite network remains far ahead in its satellite deployment and global service.
—Joey Roulette, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ratchet
Cite this Entry
“Ratchet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratchet. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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