taper off

From taper and off.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈteɪpə ɒf/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈteɪpɚ ɔf/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

taper off (third-person singular simple present tapers off, present participle tapering off, simple past and past participle tapered off)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see taper,‎ off.

   The glass tapers off at the top.

2. To diminish or lessen gradually; to become or make smaller, slower, quieter, etc.

   Coordinate terms: cycle off, cruise, discontinue

   Months after they printed the article, the number of angry letters finally started to taper off.

   • 1960 September, G. Freeman Allen, “I.C.I. fertiliser goes by rail from Tees-side”, in Trains Illustrated, page 534:

     The traffic tapers off towards mid-May, but it continues in some measure throughout the off-peak months.

   • 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:

     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.