as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
at this time of the year, light begins to taper off a little earlier each day
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Recent Examples of tapered off
What initially felt like a meteoric rise tapered off into a slow burn.
—
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 17 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
While the series’ linear ratings have tapered off, something pretty common for serialized broadcast dramas, Memory of a Killer has become a staple on Hulu, which releases new episodes next day, regularly raking in the streamer’s Daily Top 10.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
That improvement tapered off, however, over the course of the last two weeks.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
But then construction tapered off, helping stabilize rent prices and occupancy rates.
—Lily O'Neill, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Apr. 2026
The analysis showed bacterial diversity recovered the fastest in the first two years after people took antibiotics; the rate of recovery tapered off after that point.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
After the initial surge following the Tuesday Instagram post upping the reward, the number of calls to the sheriff's department has tapered off, sources said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The questions about the interceptions have tapered off with his high schoolers.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 17 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
While the series’ linear ratings have tapered off, something pretty common for serialized broadcast dramas, Memory of a Killer has become a staple on Hulu, which releases new episodes next day, regularly raking in the streamer’s Daily Top 10.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2026
That improvement tapered off, however, over the course of the last two weeks.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
But then construction tapered off, helping stabilize rent prices and occupancy rates.
—Lily O'Neill, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Apr. 2026
The analysis showed bacterial diversity recovered the fastest in the first two years after people took antibiotics; the rate of recovery tapered off after that point.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
After the initial surge following the Tuesday Instagram post upping the reward, the number of calls to the sheriff's department has tapered off, sources said.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The questions about the interceptions have tapered off with his high schoolers.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapered off
Verb
-
Brent crude, the global benchmark, decreased to just more than $91 per barrel Friday afternoon after reaching lower to $89 earlier in the day.—
Ryan Mancini,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Though the number of deadly attacks by separatists has decreased in recent years, the conflict shows no sign of resolution.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Guthrie is 84, after all, and not in great health, so though in the first few days the focus was on trying to find her alive, at this point, the hopes of that have diminished greatly.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Quiet Maryam and mercurial Farhan—eight years apart—had often squabbled, gone through periods of not talking, but without her sister as a foil, Maryam was diminished.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, drinking more water helped, and my symptoms eventually subsided.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The be-ins, the marches, and the riots had mostly subsided, leaving a strange quiet in their place.—
Andrew Durbin,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the piece, the Vicar of Christ is felled not by his oppressors but rather by a random cosmic event.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Jeff Shell, now felled from his presidency of Paramount, is living proof.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Three minutes into the flight, the booster switched off its engines and fell away from New Glenn’s upper stage, powered by two BE-3U engines burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Sooner or later, those fans and hands fell away, and the statues remained, growing less and less presentable.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tapered off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapered%20off. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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