tapers off

verb

present tense third-person singular of taper off
as in decreases
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually at this time of the year, light begins to taper off a little earlier each day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tapers off Activity scheduling generally follows daily circadian rhythms, so more intensive experiences are clustered in the mornings, with a smattering in the afternoon that tapers off in time for slow sunset yoga or meditation. — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026 If gravel tapers off at the edges of your garden, weeds will easily find their way into the soil below and germinate. — Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 21 Aug. 2026 Acuna’s show business resume tapers off in the mid-2010’s, according to IMDB. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026 After the strongest storms move out, colder air will settle in with the possibility of a few wet snowflakes before the precipitation tapers off. — Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026 The sharp tanginess of the vinegar tapers off when cooked, lending subtle brightness to dishes. — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026 Even after the snow tapers off, the weekend will remian breezy and cold across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with wind gusts of 30 to over 60 mph possible. — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026 Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly once snow begins, and hazardous conditions could persist into Sunday morning before snow tapers off. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026 By the time the snow tapers off Monday morning, New Yorkers could be left with anywhere between 8 and 14 inches of the white stuff. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapers off
  1. decreases
  2. diminishes
  3. subsides
  4. falls
  5. declines
Verb
  • In addition, insulin sensitivity — or how effectively the body responds to the hormone insulin — also generally decreases at night.
    — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The drink—also known simply as beet juice—decreases inflammation and is rich in nitrates, which help relax blood vessels and allow blood to flow more freely.
    — Christina Manian, HEALTH, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of decreases
Verb
  • Pyrad works by instantaneously thickening when exposed to fire, forming a char that diminishes heat exposure, extinguishes flames, and decreases the risk of third-degree burns.
    — Derek Rose, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • By effectively raising the threshold in the playoffs, the NFL acknowledges that over-officiating diminishes the product and that marginal penalties should not decide its most important games.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • Chadchart said despite the heavy rain, flooding should recede once the rain subsides, as city officials are working to drain floodwaters as quickly as possible.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Ideally, those refugees would remain in human care for years or even decades until the mussel invasion subsides.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of subsides
Verb
  • The January 16, 2027 slot once again falls the day after the end of nomination voting in the Academy Awards on January 15, and before the January 21 nominations announcement.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As night falls, Kenny and Christina are over the moon about their trip.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • And women going through perimenopause and menopause lose muscle even faster because their estrogen declines.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Tracking Wall Street declines overnight, Asia markets tumbled Thursday.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of declines

Browse Nearby Words

tapers
tapers off
tapes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tapers off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapers%20off. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All