taper off

verb

tapered off; tapering off; tapers off

: taper

housing starts tapered off in the fall

Synonyms

• abate
• de-escalate
• decline
• decrease
• die (away or down or out)
• diminish
• drain (away)
• drop (off)
• dwindle
• ease
• ebb
• fall
• fall away
• lessen
• let up
• lower
• moderate
• pall
• phase down
• ratchet (down)
• rachet (down)
• recede
• relent
• remit
• shrink
• subside
• taper
• wane

Examples of taper off in a Sentence

at this time of the year, light begins to taper off a little earlier each day

Recent Examples on the Web

Spring’s wet weather is tapering off, and summer is coming to bloom with outdoor opportunities for Hoosiers across state and local parks. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 7 June 2024

According to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, rain showers will temporarily taper off across the area Tuesday. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 28 May 2024

The heavy, wet snow should taper off around 4 p.m. and could leave behind 4 to 8 inches in Milwaukee. —Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024

Thursday Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards Forecast: Steady rain in the morning, with showers continuing in the afternoon but mostly tapering off by 3 p.m. High around 53 degrees. —Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

taper off

verb

: to stop or lessen gradually