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.
Results tailed off in the late 1970s. Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 Our guys played their tail off. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2025 The production tailed off to 11-23-34 in 52 games last season. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 1 Oct. 2025 That football team just worked their tail off to get an SEC win. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tail off

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tail off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tail%20off. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on tail 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!