taper off

verb

tapered off; tapering off; tapers off

: taper

housing starts tapered off in the fall

Synonyms of taper off

• decrease
• diminish
• subside
• die (away or down or out)
• drain (away)
• decline
• fall away
• fall
• ease
• drop (off)

Examples of taper off in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Activity scheduling generally follows daily circadian rhythms, so more intensive experiences are clustered in the mornings, with a smattering in the afternoon that tapers off in time for slow sunset yoga or meditation. — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026

Humidity should taper off by Friday as new weather patterns arrive from the Great Plains and southern Canada. — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Al-Deek says relief can come from a few different directions — hormone replacement therapy, switching to a different antidepressant, adjusting your dose or tapering off the medication altogether. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026

Any lingering precipitation should taper off by evening as skies gradually clear and temperatures fall into the mid-60s overnight. — The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Sun, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for taper off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff

Kids Definition

taper off

verb

: to stop or lessen gradually