Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ratchet up

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.15 in modern English

Syllables: ratch-et up
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To increase; especially, to increase by degrees in a way that only gets worse, never experiencing any reprieves.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: dial up, hike up"
"After all, nations are pouring massive resources into military applications of AI, and many citizens don’t know or don’t care. Yet that quiescent attitude may change over time, as the domestic use of AI surveillance ratchets up, and that technology is increasingly identified with shadowy apparatuses of control, rather than democratically accountable local powers."
"Living legend Miley Cyrus and songwriter/producer/drummer Maxx Morando have recently ratcheted up their PDA, and if you're new here ("here" being their relationship), don't worry about it. We put together a timeline just for you—yw!"

Etymology

From the action of a ratchet; used both literally and figuratively.

Inflected Forms

ratchets up (present, singular) ratcheting up (participle, present) ratcheted up (participle, past) ratcheted up (past)

Synonyms

dial up hike up

Antonyms

dial back relieve let off let up

Questions

What does ratchet up mean?: To increase; especially, to increase by degrees in a way that only gets worse, never experiencing any reprieves.
Where does ratchet up come from?: From the action of a ratchet; used both literally and figuratively.

How to pronounce ratchet up

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