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
Most areas saw trace amounts of rainfall, less than a tenth of an inch, before the showers tapered off by midmorning.
—
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
One patient had suffered a horrific motorcycle injury and eventually tapered off opioids with the help of cannabis.
—NPR, 20 Oct. 2025
In order to reconcile some of the cost increases, a large swathe of American fashion companies have frontloaded inventory—a phenomenon first seen during the winter and spring months, which tapered off as the China tariffs took effect.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
Then the hurricane continued on a more northward path around the islands and finally began weakening after powerful 145 mph winds tapered off.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
His production tapered off a bit thereafter, but this season, general manager Brett Veach thinks Hunt’s full campaign could look a lot more like that initial stretch.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
But when the Biden administration moved to restrict asylum, the boom of unauthorized immigrants tapered off in the last six months of 2024, according to preliminary government data.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
The spotlight tapered off ever so slightly in 2024.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
One patient had suffered a horrific motorcycle injury and eventually tapered off opioids with the help of cannabis.
—NPR, 20 Oct. 2025
In order to reconcile some of the cost increases, a large swathe of American fashion companies have frontloaded inventory—a phenomenon first seen during the winter and spring months, which tapered off as the China tariffs took effect.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
Then the hurricane continued on a more northward path around the islands and finally began weakening after powerful 145 mph winds tapered off.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
His production tapered off a bit thereafter, but this season, general manager Brett Veach thinks Hunt’s full campaign could look a lot more like that initial stretch.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
But when the Biden administration moved to restrict asylum, the boom of unauthorized immigrants tapered off in the last six months of 2024, according to preliminary government data.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
The spotlight tapered off ever so slightly in 2024.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapered off
Verb
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Silver There was a time when owning silver was a rite of passage and, while its panache has decreased in recent year, there's still inherent value in this precious metal.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, and decreased joint mobility.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rainfall has diminished across Jamaica.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
However, the 26-year-old’s potential never materialized, leaving Vrabel to explain in late August why White’s role had diminished late in training camp.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For eastern Cuba, the rainfall has subsided.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
After the shrieks subsided, the clip shows the substantial crack Denny left behind.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Heroin chic fell away, and body positivity entered the fashion world.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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In that moment, everything else fell away.—
Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tapered off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapered%20off. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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