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(by extension) A procedure or regulation that goes in one direction, usually up.
2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 2, page 23:
The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.
2013, Charles Morgan, Youthful Folly, →ISBN, page 94:
Ahead of them a group of mandibulous sales men had set up their combustion cups and incendiary ratchets to demonstrate their wares to whatever officers might come by.
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
ratchet (third-person singular simple presentratchets, present participleratcheting, simple past and past participleratcheted)
(transitive) To cause to become incremented or decremented.
It's time to ratchet up the intensity level here.
1999 March 25, “Air Campaign Against Yugoslavia”, in The New York Times, New York:
Yugoslavia’s President, Slobodan Milosevic, has rejected all efforts at meaningful diplomacy and, in violation of his own previous commitments, has ratcheted up his military campaign against the innocent civilians of Kosovo.
The one thing that always accompanies Miley's ratchet look (along with the gang signs) is the tongue, which is sort of like saying this persona that she has adopted is some sort of gonzo idiot who can't keep its tongue in her head.
The feminine-meets-fiesty creations are right on par with all the reasons we love the rightgeouslyratchet “Work” singer — and she knows it.
2018 March 28, Todrick Hall (lyrics and music), “T.H.U.G. (Trade)”, in Forbidden, track 14:
Classy in the streets but we ratchet
2023 January 3, KWILLS, soc.culture.african.american (Usenet):
I love it when jaboons let their jibbering get them in 5 times as much trouble as they're already in. Let's see if this ratchet can keep her dick trap shut in court.
