13 synonyms for “taper” in case anyone wants to spice up coverage of the Fed

The US Federal Reserve just surprised markets by deciding to keep its bond-buying program intact. Or as nearly everyone seems to put it, the Fed opted not to taper (i.e., gradually reduce) the program. That word was already getting tired, and it will only get worse from here as everyone rethinks when the taper will actually begin. So we consulted a few thesauruses to find a few words and phrases that anyone can use to describe the act of cutting back on something. Here they are, free of charge:

• abate
• dwindle
• lessen
• ebb
• recede
• subside
• diminish
• let up
• fade
• reduce
• thin
• wane
• ratchet down

Of course, taper has the advantage of also being a noun. But in a pinch, “the ebb” or “the fade” could work, too.