What is the definition of Ratcheting?

Ratcheting, my friends, is like watching a rubber band get progressively tighter and tighter until it's like, "Oh boy, this is getting serious!" It's a fancy way to describe the process of something slowly increasing or accelerating, often with a dash of dramatic flair.

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Now, here's an edgy example: "The ratcheting tension in my office chair just got so bad, it felt like I was about to be ratcheted up into a lifetime of slumped-facing procrastination."