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.
The overall rate of inflation tends to slow down once oil prices taper off.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 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
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
Doctors say it’s best to taper off gradually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025
But they were ignoring him completely, silently watching the rain as it continued to taper off.
From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi
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.
