taper

verb

ˈtā-pər How to pronounce taper (audio)
Definition of tapernext
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually you'll find the symptoms begin tapering gradually about 24 hours after you take the medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of taper On Friday, instead of the persistent put-buying that had marked options flows in the XLU ETF for the past month, trading was dominated by someone who sold $1 million of puts betting the group's selloff will taper or turn around. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 But should the trade deficit close and exports outnumber imports, foreign investment would also taper, Hassan suggested. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 Rain showers will continue off and on Monday, with the rain beginning to taper Monday night. — Sarah Wroblewski, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 The bed is flared out inside the van, tapering to a 39-in (100-cm) width to fit inside the Happy Dreamer pod, so campers will be most comfortable sleeping with their feet in the pod, heads in the van. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for taper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taper
  1. decrease
  2. subside
  3. diminish
  4. ease
  5. shrink
  6. decline
  7. fall
Verb
  • Telecom stocks — Shares of AT & T and T-Mobile fell more than 5% each, while Verizon shares decreased 1% on a Bloomberg News report that SpaceX is in private talks to lease 80,000 cell towers.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As technology has advanced, launch costs have decreased, and satellites have become more efficient, smaller and cheaper to build.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • This means rough surf, beach erosion, and coastal flooding will slowly subside at the beaches through the weekend.
    — Steven Sosna, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Goldman Sachs also found that hedge funds sold tech stocks at a record pace last week, suggesting future selling pressure may subside.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of subside
Verb
  • Members of Congress could be expected to resist presidential encroachments because those encroachments diminished their own power.
    — Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In theory, such an arrangement diminishes the cells’ ability to transport oxygen from the lungs.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • The plan is to find candidates from families that renounced their royal status in 1947, which at the time was to ease the postwar financial burden on the monarchy.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Reports have also eased slightly, with about half occurring in the first two months.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of ease
Verb
  • Musk’s wealth faces a countdown Musk also expects his personal fortune to shrink substantially across future generations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the visible faces of the Southwest’s critical water problem, as the Colorado River — which supplies water to nearly 40 million people — shrinks due to a combination of climate change and human demand.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrink
Verb
  • Central bank holdings at the New York Fed declined 40 tonnes in August, Goldman added, while holdings at the Bank of England rose 46 tonnes.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For this story, however, the district declined to comment due to Ortiz’s lawsuit, which is ongoing.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • In most cases where the acquirer is en route to paying a price amounting to a humongous PE, the acquirer’s stock falls.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Orionid meteor shower creates one of the most brilliant displays in the night sky each fall — but this year’s celestial event may have a dimmer showing due to a bright moon.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall

Phrases Containing taper

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taped
taper
tape recording
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Cite this Entry

“Taper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taper. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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