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tapers off

verb

present tense third-person singular of taper off
as in decreases
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

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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 tapers off Activity scheduling generally follows daily circadian rhythms, so more intensive experiences are clustered in the mornings, with a smattering in the afternoon that tapers off in time for slow sunset yoga or meditation. — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026 If gravel tapers off at the edges of your garden, weeds will easily find their way into the soil below and germinate. — Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 21 Aug. 2026 Acuna’s show business resume tapers off in the mid-2010’s, according to IMDB. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026 After the strongest storms move out, colder air will settle in with the possibility of a few wet snowflakes before the precipitation tapers off. — Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026 The sharp tanginess of the vinegar tapers off when cooked, lending subtle brightness to dishes. — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026 Even after the snow tapers off, the weekend will remian breezy and cold across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with wind gusts of 30 to over 60 mph possible. — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026 Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly once snow begins, and hazardous conditions could persist into Sunday morning before snow tapers off. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026 By the time the snow tapers off Monday morning, New Yorkers could be left with anywhere between 8 and 14 inches of the white stuff. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapers off
  1. decreases
  2. diminishes
  3. subsides
  4. falls
  5. declines
Verb
  • Humidity falls throughout the day on Friday and decreases through Saturday morning.
    — Rachael Jay, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The rate gradually decreases at higher incomes and phases out at $53,250.
    — byDavid Schepp, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of decreases
Verb
  • The impressive density of this overload, which embraces the possibilities of relatively new technology to find novel ways to deliver and compress context, diminishes as Carter is drawn to Japan by Izumi Adachi (Kiko Mizuhara).
    — Vadim Rizov, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The governor’s effective yield to Harris diminishes the possibility of a showdown between two of California’s most powerful political figures in an election whose stakes are viewed by the Democratic Party as existential.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • Ideally, those refugees would remain in human care for years or even decades until the mussel invasion subsides.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Still, the entire curve has shifted lower as volatility generally subsides.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of subsides
Verb
  • Because every moment is narrated in Ugandan Sign Language and International Sign, Deaf travelers are more deeply immersed in the experience, and a welcome hush falls over the environment—which is, surprise, appreciated by the wildlife too.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • However, the salt can solidify if its temperature falls too close to its freezing point.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • Indeed, in her devotion to sparkle, Pechman declines to probe too deeply into any of the industry’s more hurtful or exploitative dimensions.
    — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, some longtime communities have seen Latino population declines, including Logan Square, Avondale, Albany Park, Irving Park and Pilsen.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of declines

Browse Nearby Words

tapers
tapers off
tapes
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Cite this Entry

“Tapers off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapers%20off. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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