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
Gradually tapering your dose can help, doctors say.
—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Inflation hit a two-year high in January 2025, before tapering down over the course of the year.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026
At Kauffman, the left- and right-field walls will be moved in by 9 to 10 feet, starting close to the foul poles and tapering toward the center field wall, which will remain 410 feet from home plate.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
The outfield wall will come in eight to 10 feet starting in the outfield corners and tapering toward center field, where the wall will remain 410 feet from home plate (keeping Kauffman one of the deepest parks to straightaway center).
—Chad Jennings, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Rain throughout the region is expected through Tuesday with the storm tapering.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
Cut with a curved outer seam that balloons slightly through the thigh before tapering at the ankle, the shape is all about creating volume.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
After crunching the data, the researchers found that the most effective way of going off antidepressants and preventing a relapse in depression was doing slow tapering (again, over more than four weeks), combined with therapy sessions.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
Patients typically follow a 12-week course, starting with five sessions per week for three weeks, then tapering to two or three sessions weekly for the remaining nine weeks.
—Kamal Choudhury, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Inflation hit a two-year high in January 2025, before tapering down over the course of the year.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026
At Kauffman, the left- and right-field walls will be moved in by 9 to 10 feet, starting close to the foul poles and tapering toward the center field wall, which will remain 410 feet from home plate.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
The outfield wall will come in eight to 10 feet starting in the outfield corners and tapering toward center field, where the wall will remain 410 feet from home plate (keeping Kauffman one of the deepest parks to straightaway center).
—Chad Jennings, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Rain throughout the region is expected through Tuesday with the storm tapering.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
Cut with a curved outer seam that balloons slightly through the thigh before tapering at the ankle, the shape is all about creating volume.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025
After crunching the data, the researchers found that the most effective way of going off antidepressants and preventing a relapse in depression was doing slow tapering (again, over more than four weeks), combined with therapy sessions.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
Patients typically follow a 12-week course, starting with five sessions per week for three weeks, then tapering to two or three sessions weekly for the remaining nine weeks.
—Kamal Choudhury, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapering
Verb
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The biggest shift in the financial model of newspapers that has occurred in the transition from print to digital is a decreasing reliance on advertising and an increasing reliance on direct payments from subscribers.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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The formulation hits all the targets my tired eyes crave—brightening dark circles, decreasing puffiness, and reducing the look of fine lines.—
Cathy Nelson,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Though snowy conditions are subsiding, the impacts of the storm will linger in the coming days—especially as many regions that saw snowfall are beginning the week with single-digit temperatures.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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Sausalito crews set up a 4-inch pump near Gate 5 Road in the city’s northernmost neighborhood, where the grounds have been subsiding.—
Steven Rosenfeld,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her authority has been challenged in several high-profile cases, diminishing hopes in both progressive and populist MAGA circles for tough antitrust enforcement.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The tiredness of the players has a diminishing effect on the level of spectacle and the games and goals become unmemorable.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a recent note, Deutsche Bank has started drawing comparisons to the dot-com bubble of 2000, and says the recent sell-off in AI and software-exposed stocks is showing no signs of easing.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
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Trump has addressed the home affordability issue more frequently in recent months and introduced a series of proposals aimed at easing the problem.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, lung cancer incidence rates are declining slower in Iowa than in other states.—
Cami Koons,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
5 Feb. 2026
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Measles-vaccination rates have been steadily declining for several years; since last January, the country has logged its two largest measles epidemics in more than three decades.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The 83-year-old senator has had multiple health issues over the past few years, including publicly freezing during a press conference in 2023 and falling ahead of a Senate vote in October 2025.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
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Among the videos, prosecutors wrote, is one that shows the bullet hitting Kirk, blood coming from his neck and Kirk falling from his chair.—
Matthew Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That legacy hasn’t disappeared, but it is increasingly strained under the weight of rising needs and shrinking staff capacity.—
Patrick Mahoney,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
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But shares in open float have been shrinking.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tapering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapering. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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