How to Use ratchet in a Sentence

ratchet

1 of 2 noun
  • This one’s next to the ratchet wrenches and the tube socks.
    Pat Myers, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2022
  • The shorts tended to ride high on the waist, thanks to the secure fit of the ratchet.
    Nikki Rohan, Outside Online, 14 Oct. 2022
  • All of these singers make the kind of brazen songs that reflect the ethos of ratchet culture.
    Briana Younger, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2019
  • The most common load binder in use today is the ratchet kind.
    Bob Beacham, chicagotribune.com, 15 Mar. 2021
  • The two reversible ratchets come in 3/8 and ½-inch drives, and there’s an adapter for use with ¼-inch drive sockets.
    Sarah Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2023
  • The ratchet lock allows the head to move up freely, but not down until the lever is released.
    Talon Homer, Popular Mechanics, 17 June 2022
  • The astronauts had to use a ratchet wrench to deal with the more stubborn bolts, which slowed them down.
    Marcia Dunn, orlandosentinel.com, 1 Mar. 2021
  • The clamps come off easily with a ratchet and socket and two guys can lift the deck on or off the boat.
    Michael R. Shea, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2020
  • For pulling power at a distance of up to 100 feet, a ratchet puller meant to work with a long rope can get the job done.
    The Editors, Outdoor Life, 22 Nov. 2020
  • My initial thoughts: Who in the world is this ratchet Tiffany Haddish?
    Elizabeth Wellington, Philly.com, 8 Aug. 2017
  • Once the water has been squeezed out, simply push a button to release the mop head from the ratchet.
    Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2023
  • The pop-out roof panel is now attached with three hand levers rather than four bolts and a ratchet wrench.
    Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023
  • The deal doesn’t include a ratchet mechanism that would force the U.K. to stiffen its rule in lockstep with the EU.
    Fortune, 25 Dec. 2020
  • The first round of ratchet talks will take place in Glasgow next November.
    Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 27 Nov. 2019
  • What it’s given us is a one-way ratchet in which bad ideas are adopted and then turned into the laws of the Medes and the Persians.
    F.h. Buckley, WSJ, 27 June 2021
  • Type There are four main types of pruning shears: bypass, ratchet, anvil, and straight-blade.
    Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2023
  • Instructions were clear and easy to follow and bonus came with an Allen key ratchet tool, which made the job even faster!
    Courtney Thompson, CNN Underscored, 4 Aug. 2020
  • Use an open-end or ratchet wrench to tighten the lagscrews, but do not overtighten them.
    Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 5 June 2021
  • The latter, by default, swaps the scroll style between a smooth, fast scroll and slower line-by-line ratchet scrolling.
    Benjamin Levin, CNN Underscored, 10 June 2020
  • Both models include a 1/4-inch drive ratchet, as well as drill bits.
    Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 2 Mar. 2021
  • This set has a pear head ratchet that will switch directions for you with a simple flick.
    Chris Hachey, BGR, 2 June 2021
  • Possession of both keys further ratchets up the threat in a worst-case scenario.
    Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 11 May 2023
  • Your Questions, Answered What is the most used turning tool or ratchet size?
    Sarah Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2023
  • Ascend the sticks to secure the stand’s platform strap (often a ratchet) and install the safety line.
    Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 11 Sep. 2020
  • One irony of ratchet loans, is that the investors get paid more if the companies fail to meet their objectives.
    Paul J. Davies, WSJ, 4 May 2021
  • Powell threw the ratchet strap at one of the officers and made threatening statements, the GBI said.
    Caroline Silva, ajc, 8 Oct. 2022
  • The thumping bass line cuts out abruptly and the soundtrack is replaced with the ratchet-like chorus of crickets.
    Evan Lubofsky, Smithsonian, 23 Aug. 2017
  • It’s built up so well, with little moments of relief that ratchet right back up again.
    Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Outside hanging out the window with my ratchet-ass friends.
    Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Nov. 2022
  • There’s no end to the practicality of the ratchet puller, also known as a come-along or a power puller.
    The Editors, Field & Stream, 14 Sep. 2020
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ratchet

2 of 2 verb
  • The rhetoric from the right has continued to ratchet up.
    David Gilbert, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024
  • That ratchets up the stakes for Moscow, Mr. Kupchan said.
    Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 5 May 2023
  • The tensions between the U.A.E. and Qatar ratcheted up in early 2017.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
  • The Texans will hope to hit on a big play early so the Ravens can’t play from ahead and ratchet up the pressure.
    Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Both use a ratcheting hook to attach to your car’s air vents.
    Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Sep. 2023
  • The violent scenes from the mosque ratcheted up tensions across the region.
    Josef Federman, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023
  • As screws tightened to ratchet up the pressure, the blue turned into a blushing tint.
    Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2023
  • And the plot is steadily ratcheted up to keep this 80-minute play from souring like a vegetable dip left out too long.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023
  • The move will risk ratcheting up tension between the US and China.
    Aarian Marshall Will Knight, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024
  • A number of factors have combined to ratchet up the tension behind the counter.
    Marley Jay, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2023
  • As the band ratcheted the excitement up with its powerful grooves, the voltage in the air of club asia reached its peak.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2023
  • But goals ratchet up with each success, so the loss to the Dutch was greeted with heartbreak, and then perspective.
    John Branch, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2022
  • Pelosi's visit saw tensions in the Taiwan Strait ratchet up.
    Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2023
  • Union leaders had ratcheted up pressure in the negotiations, and over the last week have pushed for faster progress in the talks.
    Kelly Yamanouchi The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (tns), al, 5 July 2023
  • Biden has steadily ratcheted up the lethality and caliber of U.S. weaponry shipped to Ukraine.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 27 July 2023
  • When the game is on the line or when the pressure ratchets up, instead of getting overcome by nerves, these athletes simply act.
    Cassie Shortsleeve, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2023
  • Lynching hasn’t stopped in America, and in fact, it’s been ratcheting up again.
    Vulture, 20 Sep. 2023
  • The emotion only ratcheted up when Graham Nash – who had to miss the show to play a gig in Munhall, Pennsylvania – appeared on the video screens.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2023
  • As the turmoil of the Covid era gave way to surging inflation, central banks around the world ratcheted up interest rates.
    Swetha Gopinath, Fortune Europe, 28 Nov. 2023
  • The new agreement does not ratchet up calls for reducing emissions.
    Seth Borenstein, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Nov. 2022
  • Just above those rests the scroller which has a premium metal feel and the ability to ratchet scroll through entire page sections.
    Hunter Fenollol, Popular Mechanics, 31 May 2023
  • Now that actors on films can hit the red carpets, do interviews with press and go on the late night talk shows, the competition is about to ratchet up a notch.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 9 Nov. 2023
  • Trump and DeSantis have only ratcheted up their attacks related to covid in the months since.
    Maegan Vazquez and Amy B Wang, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023
  • But there are some red flags to pay attention to, that tell you your anxiety has ratcheted up to harmful levels.
    Marisa Cohen, Good Housekeeping, 26 Mar. 2023
  • Whatever led to it, the Bluejays’ Baylor Scheierman made the catch in perfect rhythm en route to his own basket for a layup that tied the game and ratcheted stress levels to 11.
    Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2023
  • That windfall could land in Trump's lap at a time when his financial pressures are ratcheting up.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024
  • This has ratcheted up tensions heading into Seville this week.
    Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2023
  • With so much is in flux, one of the few certainties is that Jordan Poole must ratchet up his usage rate during this Curry-less stretch.
    Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Dec. 2022
  • The teams went back and forth in the third without forgetting the physical end of things, ratcheting up the tension as the game headed toward overtime.
    Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2023
  • In an election year, this debate will only ratchet up as politicians take sides, Eberle added.
    Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ratchet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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