tail off

British  

verb

1. (adverb, usually intr) to decrease or cause to decrease in quantity, degree, etc, esp gradually

   his interest in collecting stamps tailed off over the years

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tail off Idioms  

1. Also, tail away. Diminish gradually, subside, as in The fireworks tailed off into darkness. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

“Well, did you know,” said Mr. Grayson, “that if you lift a kangaroo’s tail off the ground, it can’t hop?”

From Literature

Hadn’t I worked my tail off for him all morning?

From Literature

"He'll rehab his tail off and get back to being healthy," Payton predicted.

From Barron's

“Only because I never saw myself as a football player first. Don’t get me wrong, I worked my tail off for football and I loved it but never saw that as my whole identity because I had such a big background in outdoors. Really, with this opportunity I had I was actually pretty excited about moving forward.”

From Los Angeles Times

The billions of dollars being invested in artificial intelligence by large technology firms has helped prop up the economy, the forecast noted, which should result in productivity gains — but the capital expenditures should tail off as a “trough of disillusionment” sets in when revenue gains don’t meet expectations.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abate
• curb
• curtail
• cut down
• decline
• depreciate
• deteriorate
• diminish
• drop
• drop off
• dwindle
• ease
• ebb
• fall off
• lessen
• lower
• reduce
• shrink
• sink
• slacken