up
to increase, or make sth increase, repeatedly and by small amounts :
Overuse of credit cards has ratcheted up consumer debt to unacceptable levels.
up
to increase, or make sth increase, repeatedly and by small amounts :
Overuse of credit cards has ratcheted up consumer debt to unacceptable levels.
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005