taper off

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verb

Definition of TAPER OFF

:  taper <housing starts tapered off in the fall>

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Examples of TAPER OFF

1. <at this time of the year, light begins to taper off a little earlier each day>

First Known Use of TAPER OFF

1848

Related to TAPER OFF

Synonyms

abate, decline, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down) also rachet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, decrease, wane

Antonyms

accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon (also bourgeon), enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax

Related Words

compress, condense, constrict, contract; evaporate, fade (away), fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish; slacken, slow (down); alleviate, relax; flag, sink, weaken; cave (in), collapse, deflate

Near Antonyms

appear, emerge, show up; blow up, distend, elongate, lengthen

Rhymes with TAPER OFF

better-off, carry off, cooling-off, damping-off, Gorbachev, hit it off, level off, philosophe, polish off, sugar off