as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
as the years went by, the public's interest in the murder case fell away
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Recent Examples of falling away
On Wednesday, Mikel Arteta’s side face Bayer Leverkusen, who sit sixth in the Bundesliga after falling away since their famous unbeaten title-winning season in 2023-24.
—
Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
That means some of the oddball stuff that had a moment toward the end of the Peak TV boom is falling away, sadly — no one’s greenlighting something as off kilter as The OA or Servant these days.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
Sunrays strobed down through the water, illuminating layer upon layer of marine life, falling away to the ocean floor some 15 feet below.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
True dandruff usually appears as larger white-to-yellow flakes with a slightly oily texture that stick to the scalp and hair rather than falling away like fine powder.
—Allure, 18 Dec. 2025
Like a snake shedding its skin, The Girlfriend’s expendable outer layers are falling away to reveal a more interesting core.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
That means some of the oddball stuff that had a moment toward the end of the Peak TV boom is falling away, sadly — no one’s greenlighting something as off kilter as The OA or Servant these days.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Feb. 2026
Sunrays strobed down through the water, illuminating layer upon layer of marine life, falling away to the ocean floor some 15 feet below.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
True dandruff usually appears as larger white-to-yellow flakes with a slightly oily texture that stick to the scalp and hair rather than falling away like fine powder.
—Allure, 18 Dec. 2025
Like a snake shedding its skin, The Girlfriend’s expendable outer layers are falling away to reveal a more interesting core.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling away
Verb
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The situation mirrors a recent case in Sweetwater, where hundreds of families were also displaced under similar terms, with financial incentives decreasing the longer residents wait to leave.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Higher rates can help tame inflation and allow savers to earn more interest on their accounts, while lower rates can help stimulate the economy by decreasing borrowing costs.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Indeed, the need for RTGs was laid bare by Curiosity and Perseverance's predecessors, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were purely solar powered but suffered from diminishing power as Martian dust covered their solar arrays.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Without sufficient funds, the upkeep of these amenities may decline, potentially lowering property values and diminishing residents’ quality of life.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But there were no signs that the conflict was subsiding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
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But, by the end of May, the issue was not subsiding.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The roadside assistance and insurance provider says that fuel economy for most cars peaks at 50 mph before tapering off.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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The storm will make travel in the foothills and mountains difficult on Friday before tapering off Friday night.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Violent crime rates were falling well before the surge, in line with national trends.—
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Swiss stocks show resilience By contrast, UBS said Swiss equities offer less exposure to energy disruptions at an attractive valuation point after falling more than 10% since the start of the conflict.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While the data show overall birth outcomes improving — declining rates of prematurity, low birth weight, and infant mortality — disparities are still prevalent, particularly for Black women.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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The grand jury had the options of handing up an indictment, declining to indict and issuing a report known as a presentment.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Falling away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20away. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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