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
Oxford estimates car sales will taper off soon and fall short of the 16 million mark in 2026, compared with 16.2 million new vehicles sold in 2025.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Also, we would reassess if we see demand for AI services taper off.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
“Steady precipitation will taper off to showers by late this afternoon and become confined to the mountains by late tonight,” the weather service posted in a Thursday morning forecast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
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.
