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
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Recent Examples of tapering off
Showers could linger into Wednesday night before gradually tapering off, with cooler air settling in and lows dropping into the 50s.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 4 May 2026
There may be some consolation in the fact that some housing experts, like Cotality's chief economist, Selma Hepp, think that the recent period of skyrocketing housing costs may be tapering off.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
On Saturday, Ventura County could see wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph, and isolated gusts of 40 mph, starting in the mid-morning and tapering off later in the afternoon.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The security line situation could be tapering off.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Players Era’s rapid expansion plans could be tapering off.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Mar. 2026
In Houston’s climate, some pollen may appear as early as January, but concentrations typically peak in early to mid-spring before tapering off.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
The roadside assistance and insurance provider says that fuel economy for most cars peaks at 50 mph before tapering off.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The storm will make travel in the foothills and mountains difficult on Friday before tapering off Friday night.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 4 May 2026
There may be some consolation in the fact that some housing experts, like Cotality's chief economist, Selma Hepp, think that the recent period of skyrocketing housing costs may be tapering off.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
On Saturday, Ventura County could see wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph, and isolated gusts of 40 mph, starting in the mid-morning and tapering off later in the afternoon.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The security line situation could be tapering off.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Players Era’s rapid expansion plans could be tapering off.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Mar. 2026
In Houston’s climate, some pollen may appear as early as January, but concentrations typically peak in early to mid-spring before tapering off.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
The roadside assistance and insurance provider says that fuel economy for most cars peaks at 50 mph before tapering off.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The storm will make travel in the foothills and mountains difficult on Friday before tapering off Friday night.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapering off
Verb
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As chairman, Cassidy has had several clashes with the White House over confirmations, including for Kennedy due to his support for decreasing the number of vaccines children receive.—
Gabrielle M. Etzel,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
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San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced an overall 4% decrease, and unsheltered homelessness decreasing by 22% since the 2024 count.—
Robin Epley,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Section Two of the Voting Rights Act was written to prevent diminishing the voting power of racial minorities by packing them into one district or spreading them out across many districts.—
Sarah Clifton,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Getty Images The Philadelphia Phillies have kept many of the same players on the roster since the team’s 2022 run all the way to the World Series, though the returns have been diminishing.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Breezy winds return on Tuesday after subsiding somewhat on Monday.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
But there were no signs that the conflict was subsiding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the memorandum drafted between Kyiv and Washington on an early-stage drone deal appears to suggest those obstacles may be falling away.—
Aidan Stretch,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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On Wednesday, Mikel Arteta’s side face Bayer Leverkusen, who sit sixth in the Bundesliga after falling away since their famous unbeaten title-winning season in 2023-24.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Black Bear officials cited the program's declining participation rates and finances as the reason.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Sadly, bat populations are declining rapidly in North America.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Oakland's housing market is seeing some of the steepest price declines in the country, with home values falling sharply as sellers, buyers and real estate agents navigate a difficult market.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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Despite this spark of hope, by his teens, Ian’s dreams of becoming a soccer player are falling apart as rejection, oppression and his own internal rage take their toll.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tapering off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapering%20off. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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