taper

verb

ˈtā-pər How to pronounce taper (audio)
Definition of tapernext
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually you'll find the symptoms begin tapering gradually about 24 hours after you take the medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of taper After that, taper back on watering but continue to water plants lightly until the ground freezes. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2026 Her eyes are perceptive, and her broad cheekbones taper to a delicate chin. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 Some medications need to be tapered gradually, and there are serious risks of stopping them suddenly. — Danielle Zickl, HEALTH, 31 Aug. 2026 In acknowledgment of the Mississippi River, Noguchi’s sculpture features a tapering column topped by a balanced, crescent shape from which water flows. — News Desk, Artforum, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for taper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taper
  1. decrease
  2. subside
  3. diminish
  4. ease
  5. shrink
  6. decline
  7. fall
Verb
  • And the number of young people who stayed on medication for six months — already quite low — may have actually decreased.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • For the full 2027 fiscal year, Nike said to expect revenue to decrease by a high-single-digit percentage.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • When ground ice melts and water drains away, the surface can subside.
    — Ming Xiao, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The months-long battle was bitter and hard fought and enmity within the industry has yet to subside.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of subside
Verb
  • When every decision requires multiple levels of authorization, ownership naturally diminishes.
    — Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And where does the water come from for these 10 new cities as the West scrambles for what’s left of diminishing supplies?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Another catalyst could come in December, when CHIPS Act funding restrictions ease, allowing Micron to deploy its growing cash pile toward a significant buyback .
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Jeff Nash, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Bolsonaro has called for easing environmental rules and allowing farming or mining on Indigenous lands, raising concern that forest loss could increase even if current restrictions remain technically intact.
    — Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ease
Verb
  • The high price of beef in North Carolina is part of a larger national problem that begins with the shrinking supply of cattle, but that’s not the only factor driving prices.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The feedback didn’t shrink that gap any more than the sleep-hygiene sessions did.
    — J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrink
Verb
  • The parties involved in the litigation—as well as Red Lobster itself, which is not being sued—declined to comment for this article, but their court filings lay out the sad saga in dramatic detail.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But campus police made no arrests, and the district attorney, Matthew Van Houten, initially declined to pursue charges against the seven fraternity brothers.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • Court dances fell out of fashion as monarchs fell from power.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Odds of a Fed hike at its October meeting fell further, with traders now pricing in a hold, per the CME Group’s FedWatch tool.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of fall

Phrases Containing taper

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taped
taper
tape recording
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Cite this Entry

“Taper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taper. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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