as in decreasing
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
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Recent Examples of tapering
The style features an exaggerated fit that balloons out from the hip before tapering at the ankle, creating a sculptural, banana-like silhouette, according to British Vogue.
—
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Many full-size van models also lack the necessary width for a transverse rear bed, tapering in toward the roof to cut width below what's necessary for a builder to install a transverse bed in the over-load floor space.
—New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2025
Employment peaked at 42,000 before tapering as the line itself grew more efficient.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
British star architect Shaun Killa designed the structure to resemble a luxury yacht pulling out of the harbor—smooth, elongated and tapering at both ends.
—Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Plant the tallest items at the back of the bed, tapering down to the shortest ones at the front of the planting area closest to the walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Many full-size van models also lack the necessary width for a transverse rear bed, tapering in toward the roof to cut width below what's necessary for a builder to install a transverse bed in the over-load floor space.
—New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2025
Employment peaked at 42,000 before tapering as the line itself grew more efficient.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
British star architect Shaun Killa designed the structure to resemble a luxury yacht pulling out of the harbor—smooth, elongated and tapering at both ends.
—Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Plant the tallest items at the back of the bed, tapering down to the shortest ones at the front of the planting area closest to the walk.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapering
Verb
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As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The effect of climate change on traditional bear food sources, a steep population decline in rural areas, and the decreasing number of hunters have been cited as factors driving the rise in bear encounters.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Hurricane conditions are occurring within the warning area in Cuba but expected to begin subsiding this afternoon.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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Dray also highlighted Honeywell’s strong and enduring core businesses, which subsiding headwinds from here should allow the market to focus better on.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Before the night was out, Germans began chipping away at the barrier, carrying off chunks of one of the symbols of the diminishing Iron Curtain.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Business leaders say that such policies risk accelerating an exodus of companies, diminishing the city’s commercial tax base, and ultimately affecting services and jobs essential to millions of New Yorkers.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Consumer prices in China unexpectedly rose last month, new data showed Sunday, a sign that deflationary pressures on the world’s second-largest economy may be easing.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
This comes amid wider Russian attack on cities closer to Ukraine's front-line regions, signaling that Moscow has no intention of easing up its targeting of infrastructure or agreeing to any ceasefire.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Autophagy means detecting and removing cells that are declining in functional capacity and replacing them with new cells.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
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However, Gallup's polling also shows declining support among Republicans.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Yet in practice, America is now collecting billions from importers, much of it falling on carbon-intensive goods and places.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To add 5,000 homes, millions of square feet of office space, half a million square feet of retail and 1,000 hotel rooms, developers cut down 1,400 acres of forest in a city where the tree canopy is steadily shrinking.—
Khadejeh Nikouyeh,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
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Its high cost is due to a combination of huge demand and shrinking stocks, coupled with a laborious extraction process.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tapering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapering. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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