ratchet

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He also thinks Microsoft’s price/earnings ratio could ratchet up to 20 from 16 times, which would boost the share price another 25%.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

That’s because it gives bankers, responsible for pricing a transaction, more flexibility to ratchet down the credit spread—the amount a company pays above a benchmark—on each segment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

But a third factor is entangled in this equation: access to food and water, both of which become more difficult to acquire as wars spread and global temperatures ratchet upward.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

And also, to Judge McKeown’s point: Won’t this one-way ratchet just completely collapse public confidence in the judiciary?

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

A venerable tradition, dating back to the ancient Greek orators, teaches that if you don’t know what you’re talking about, just ratchet up the level of difficulty and no one will ever know.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner