taper off
verbUK /ˈteɪpə ɒf/ · US /ˈteɪpɚ ɔf/
Etymology From taper and off.
1
Idiomatic To diminish or lessen gradually; to become or make smaller, slower, quieter, etc.
- Months after they printed the article, the number of angry letters finally started to taper off.
- The traffic tapers off towards mid-May, but it continues in some measure throughout the off-peak months.1960 September, G. Freeman Allen, “I.C.I. fertiliser goes by rail from Tees-side”, in Trains Illustrated, page 534:
1 more example
- To fill this gap, over the last 25 years, patients have developed a robust Internet-based subculture of volunteer peer support for tapering off psychiatric drugs and recovering from withdrawal syndrome.2021 March 16, Adele Framer, “What I have learnt from helping thousands of people taper off antidepressants and other psychotropic medications”, in Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, volume 11, →DOI:
2
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see taper, off.
- The glass tapers off at the top.