taper off
Idioms-
Become thinner or narrower at one end, as in The road began to taper off until it was just a narrow path . [c. 1600]
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Diminish or lessen gradually, end by degrees, as in The storm finally tapered off . [Mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wait, back up: Why did the fighting taper off?
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
If the attacks taper off, he predicts life will get back to normal, business will come back in full force and tourism will recover strongly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Showers are expected to taper off by late Friday evening with dry and warmer weather returning through the middle of next week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2025
Further Fed rate cuts to help support the labor market, however, are going to depend on whether inflation is about to taper off.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 17, 2025
The roars of the crowd in the Royal Square taper off, like the winds of a storm drifting out to sea.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
