taper off

verb

tapered off; tapering off; tapers off
: taper
housing starts tapered off in the fall

Examples of taper off in a Sentence

at this time of the year, light begins to taper off a little earlier each day
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet as lending has tapered off and grace periods on many loans have expired, China has emerged as the world's largest official creditor, according to a new report from the Lowy Institute, an Australian foreign policy think tank. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 According to Sea-Intelligence, there is a continuing year-over-year reduction in ocean freight capacity to both coasts until the start of June, before the West Coast availability tapers off again throughout the month. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 May 2025 Editors’ Picks Emirati investment in Africa has ramped up as China’s has tapered off. Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 17 May 2025 Americans have also grown slightly taller during that time, though those increases have tapered off in recent years And yet, FlyersRights President Paul Hudson tells Popular Science that airline seats have remained shockingly similar (or smaller) in size since the 1960s. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for taper off

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of taper off was in 1848

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Taper off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taper%20off. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

taper off

verb
: to stop or lessen gradually

More from Merriam-Webster on taper off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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