no easy off-ramp(s)

No easy way to avoid or prevent something. A: "I don't think there's anything I can do to stop them from proceeding with the nomination." B: "I know. There's no easy off ramp for this one. They're not going to back down." Political analysts are warning that a trade war with the country is growing increasingly likely with no easy off-ramps.

ramp down

To decrease (something) in scale, volume, intensity, etc. Used both transitively and intransitively. This factory once produced 5,000 cars a day, but it's been ramping down in recent years. Between now and its closure it will yield less than 100. We're going to start ramping down our development efforts on this app. It just isn't the runaway success we had hoped it would be.

ramp up

To increase. A noun or pronoun can be used between "ramp" and "up." Ever since that break-in, they've really ramped up security at the office. You need to seriously ramp up your study efforts if you want to get an A on this exam.

ski-ramp nose

A nose that curves upward at the tip, resembling the chute used for ski jumping. A: "I hate this stupid ski-ramp nose of mine!" B: "That's from your father's side of the family. All their noses point up like that." You know, there was a time when people got plastic surgery just to have a ski-ramp nose.

ramp up

To increase the volume, amount, or rate of something: The factory must ramp up production due to increased demand for its products. I added a new card to my computer memory to ramp it up.