First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase level off
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One semi-bright spot: Credit-card delinquencies began to level off at the end of last year after climbing steadily since late 2022, according to the New York Fed.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
He brought us up another level, off the pitch as well as on it, because he is such a big character and the players bounced off him so well.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
On Tuesday, AMD Chief Executive Lisa Su said some customers last year thought their investments in AI would level off but now say they are accelerating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025
This model shows that growth rates increase with added nutrients until they level off.
From Science Daily • Nov. 11, 2025
But steadily, steadily, the steep incline did level off.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
