tail off
phrasal verb
tailed off; tailing off; tails off
: to become smaller or quieter in a gradual way
Our productivity tailed off last year.
She started to ask a question and then her voice tailed off.
Examples of tail off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to this view, the high inflation of the Biden years had left both psychological scars and a lasting imprint on prices, even after the rate of increase tailed off.
—
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Al Hilal’s first open-play goal of the tournament was timely and deserved after a bright start powered by intense man-to-man pressing and incisive passing, but their aggression – or perhaps simply their energy – tailed off sharply after taking the lead.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Alexia was the star of the group stage, scoring three goals and providing four assists in the first three games but her performances tailed off in the knockout stages from that incredibly high standard.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The film follows the adventures of Cruise's Joel Goodson (Good Son, get it?), an ace student in a Chicago suburb working his tail off to get into Princeton University.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tail off
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Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Al Hilal’s first open-play goal of the tournament was timely and deserved after a bright start powered by intense man-to-man pressing and incisive passing, but their aggression – or perhaps simply their energy – tailed off sharply after taking the lead.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Alexia was the star of the group stage, scoring three goals and providing four assists in the first three games but her performances tailed off in the knockout stages from that incredibly high standard.
—Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The film follows the adventures of Cruise's Joel Goodson (Good Son, get it?), an ace student in a Chicago suburb working his tail off to get into Princeton University.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tail off
Cite this Entry
“Tail off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tail%20off. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
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