taper off

verb

Definition of taper offnext
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually at this time of the year, light begins to taper off a little earlier each day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 off Not doing so and focusing just on sandals and flip-flops means the brand peaks in the spring-summer, and then see the business tapering off in the fall. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026 What happens if the supply gap is still there when releases taper off? — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 3 Oct. 2026 Any precipitation should taper off later Monday, though clouds may linger into the evening, making for a gray day, the weather service said. — Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026 However, Brissett's play tapered off after he was hobbled by a knee injury. — James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for taper off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taper off
  1. decrease
  2. diminish
  3. subside
  4. decline
  5. fall away
  6. fall
  7. ease
Verb
  • Her priorities include lowering costs by expanding Medicaid, fully funded pre-kindergarten and decreasing property taxes in a sustainable way.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Taurine is a checkpoint of inflammation Dixit expected that taurine levels might decrease with age.
    — Kristel Tjandra, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
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
  • 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
  • By comparison, reported federal employment declined by 4% among all other races included in the survey.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Salazar acknowledged polling had been conducted for strategic purposes, but declined to share it.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • Stern says the taxane class of chemotherapy agents often cause nail side effects like this, where the nail plate becomes separated and falls away from the nail bed.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Like so many bleeding-edge New York bars and restaurants, this phenomenon could always fall away as soon as it was beloved enough to be missed.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall away
Verb
  • Enrollment has fallen, empty seats cost money, and difficult choices are unavoidable.
    — Tim Lonergan, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The 6% lead for the No side falls outside the poll’s margin of error, which was around 3% according to PPIC.
    — Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall
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

Browse Nearby Words

tapering off
taper off
tapers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Taper off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taper%20off. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All