taper off

verb

tapered off; tapering off; tapers off
Synonyms of taper offnext
: taper
housing starts tapered off in the fall

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
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.
What initially felt like a meteoric rise tapered off into a slow burn. Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026 Showers continue through the morning and will gradually taper off by early afternoon. Steven Sosna, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026 Rain in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is expected to taper off on Tuesday afternoon, but another round of thunderstorms is expected to bring more rain to the area on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, increasing the flooding threat and adding pressure to the Bellaire and Cheboygan dams. Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026 Light-bloom torture-test shots of colorful objects against completely black backgrounds also produced significant haze that tapered off gradually across the screen. Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for taper off

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of taper off was in 1848

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Cite this Entry

“Taper off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taper%20off. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

taper off

verb
: to stop or lessen gradually

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