tail off

phrasal verb

tailed off; tailing off; tails off
: to become smaller or quieter in a gradual way
Our productivity tailed off last year.
She started to ask a question and then her voice tailed off.

Examples of tail off in a Sentence

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.
Great fans, a lot on the line, two teams playing their tails off. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 14 Mar. 2025 Wilson was solid for the Steelers last year, even if his play tailed off toward the end of the season when the team’s schedule got much tougher. Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025 Though his production has tailed off a bit since his rookie season due partly to injuries, Miami remains high on Jacquez’s future, along with that of 6-10 Nikola Jovic, who is 21. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025 The assumption has always been that the risk tails off as winter approaches. M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tail off

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Cite this Entry

“Tail off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tail%20off. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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