as in decreasing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 tapering off
The rain will continue most of Tuesday night, tapering off around dawn on Wednesday.
—
Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Southern California’s mosquito season typically begins in early May, with the insect’s activity tapering off around October.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Heavy snow will continue Wednesday in Colorado’s mountains before tapering off overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
—Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
As hundreds of students filed out of the auditorium and back to class, their chatter filled the room before gradually tapering off.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The Blizzard of ’26 was tapering off Monday afternoon after reaching bomb cyclone status overnight Sunday and dumping up to 2 feet of snow onto much of the tristate area.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
The snowstorm was supposed to begin tapering off in New York City by late Monday.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
The heaviest snow and strongest winds are likely Wednesday, with conditions gradually tapering off late Wednesday.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 16 Feb. 2026
After reaching peak market saturation, interest is tapering off.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Southern California’s mosquito season typically begins in early May, with the insect’s activity tapering off around October.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Heavy snow will continue Wednesday in Colorado’s mountains before tapering off overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
—Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
As hundreds of students filed out of the auditorium and back to class, their chatter filled the room before gradually tapering off.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The Blizzard of ’26 was tapering off Monday afternoon after reaching bomb cyclone status overnight Sunday and dumping up to 2 feet of snow onto much of the tristate area.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
The snowstorm was supposed to begin tapering off in New York City by late Monday.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
The heaviest snow and strongest winds are likely Wednesday, with conditions gradually tapering off late Wednesday.
—Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 16 Feb. 2026
After reaching peak market saturation, interest is tapering off.
—Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapering off
Verb
-
Extortion is also a crime that worries authorities, although cases appear to be decreasing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
But an album rollout is costly and seeing an ever-decreasing return on investment.—
Michaelangelo Matos,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Puerto Rico is missing Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa due to insurance restrictions, considerably diminishing their firepower, but have solid pitching and the advantage of playing at home in their group stage.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Palomar’s 48 partner agencies are similarly affected by diminishing VOCA funds.—
Maddy Keyes,
The Frontier,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But, by the end of May, the issue was not subsiding.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
By Wednesday, the disruptions seemed to be subsiding, with nearly 200 grounded, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That means some of the oddball stuff that had a moment toward the end of the Peak TV boom is falling away, sadly — no one’s greenlighting something as off kilter as The OA or Servant these days.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Sunrays strobed down through the water, illuminating layer upon layer of marine life, falling away to the ocean floor some 15 feet below.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of coming from declining direct-to-home satellite taxes, the money would come directly from state sales and use taxes.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Also Monday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange plunged, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index falling nearly 10% amid rising geopolitical tensions following attacks on Iran.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tapering off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapering%20off. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
