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.
When new models are coming, it’s common to see availability taper off on current machines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 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
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
Slowly the rush would start to taper off and we’d wind down.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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.
