ratchet up

increase something slowly but steadily (pressure, tension, prices)

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What does "ratchet sth up" mean?

To ratchet up something means to increase it gradually and persistently, step by step, in a way that feels difficult or impossible to reverse. The image comes from a ratchet mechanism — a device that can only click forward, never back — and this sense of one-directional, incremental movement is exactly what makes the phrase distinctive. It almost always carries a negative or warning tone: the thing being ratcheted up is typically dangerous, threatening, or destabilising, such as political pressure, military tensions, or hostile rhetoric. You will encounter it most often in journalism, political commentary, and economic analysis rather than in everyday conversation. When a writer chooses 'ratchet up' over a more neutral word like 'increase', they are implying that the escalation feels relentless, deliberate, and hard to stop.

Examples

How to use it

subject + ratchet up + object

The most straightforward pattern, used when a named actor is deliberately driving the escalation.

The opposition has ratcheted up pressure on the prime minister to call an early election.

subject + ratchet + short noun/pronoun + up

Separation is natural and common with short noun phrases or pronouns, which are placed between the verb and the particle.

Analysts warned that the administration was ratcheting the stakes up to a dangerous level.

pronoun + ratchet + it/them + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must always go between the verb and the particle — placing it after 'up' is not possible.

Both governments had ratcheted them up so far that a diplomatic solution looked unlikely.

object + be ratcheted up + (by agent)

The passive is natural and widely used, especially in journalism when the focus is on the effect of escalation rather than who caused it.

Sanctions were ratcheted up steadily over the following months, with little sign of a response.

ratchet up + object + further/considerably/significantly

Adverbs such as 'further', 'considerably', or 'significantly' are often added to convey the degree or continuing direction of escalation.

The latest missile tests ratcheted up regional tensions considerably.

Common Collocations

pressurerhetorictensionsthe stakessanctionsspending

Common Mistakes

Using it in neutral or positive contexts

Native speakers almost exclusively use 'ratchet up' for negative, threatening, or alarming escalation — pressure, tensions, conflict, sanctions, and similar. Using it for neutral or positive growth, such as increasing sales or productivity, will sound unnatural; opt for 'increase', 'boost', or 'drive up' instead.

✗ The marketing team ratcheted up revenue by 20% last quarter.
✓ The marketing team drove up revenue by 20% last quarter.
Confusing 'ratchet up' with 'step up'

'Step up' implies a more sudden, decisive increase and can be used across a wider range of registers and contexts. 'Ratchet up' specifically conveys slow, mechanical, and often irreversible escalation, and is strongly tied to formal and analytical writing. They are not freely interchangeable.

✗ The coach ratcheted up his team's training schedule two weeks before the final.
✓ The coach stepped up his team's training schedule two weeks before the final.
Using it without an object

'Ratchet up' always requires an object — it does not work intransitively. You cannot say 'tensions ratcheted up' on its own; you need a subject that is actively ratcheting something.

✗ Fears ratcheted up as the negotiations broke down.
✓ The breakdown of negotiations ratcheted up fears across the region.

Usage

This phrasal verb is formal and most common in journalism and political writing; it would sound unnatural in casual conversation. It is used in both British and American English with equal frequency in news contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'ratchet up' always imply something bad?

Very nearly, yes. The phrase almost always describes escalation that is threatening, destabilising, or concerning — think pressure, military tensions, hostile rhetoric, or punishing sanctions. Using it for something genuinely positive would strike most native speakers as odd. If you want to describe a neutral or positive increase, words like 'boost', 'increase', or 'drive up' are safer choices.

Is 'ratchet up' used in both British and American English?

Yes, it is equally common in journalism and political writing on both sides of the Atlantic. You will encounter it in outlets ranging from The Guardian and the BBC to The New York Times and NPR. There is no meaningful difference in meaning or frequency between the two varieties in formal contexts.

Can I use 'ratchet up' in a present continuous sentence?

It is not impossible, but the present continuous sounds less natural than the present perfect or simple past. Native speakers tend to reach for 'have ratcheted up' or 'ratcheted up' when describing this kind of escalation, perhaps because the perfect better captures the cumulative, one-directional nature of the process. 'The government is ratcheting up pressure' works, but you will see it far less often than 'the government has ratcheted up pressure'.

What kinds of things can be ratcheted up?

The most natural objects are abstract nouns associated with conflict, politics, or economics: pressure, tensions, rhetoric, the stakes, sanctions, military presence, surveillance, spending, and demands are all very common. The common thread is that these are things that can escalate incrementally and whose increase feels ominous or hard to control. Concrete, physical objects are rarely collocated with this phrase.

Is 'ratchet up' appropriate in formal academic writing?

It sits at the more journalistic and analytical end of formal English rather than in the register of academic prose. You will find it in political science journals or policy reports, but in strictly academic writing, 'escalate', 'intensify', or 'exacerbate' might be more expected. In journalism, commentary, and policy analysis, however, it is entirely at home.

Related Phrasal Verbs

ramp sb/sth up
step sth up

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