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]
-
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.
When new models are coming, it’s common to see availability taper off on current machines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
If so, GDP growth is also likely to taper off.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 22, 2025
The perk starts to taper off for joint filers with incomes from $300,000 to $550,000, or $150,000 and $400,000 for singles.
From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025
And in time, many will taper off their medication too.
From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025
She always had some kind of dessert too, as Tea Cake said it give a man something to taper off on.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
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.
