Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

phase

2 verb
     
phase2 [transitive usually passive]
to make something happen gradually in a planned way:
The closure of the regional offices was phased over an 18-month period.
a phased withdrawal of military forces

phase something ↔ in

phrasal verb
to gradually start using a new system, law, process etc:
The new tests will be phased in over the next two years.

phase something ↔ out

phrasal verb
to gradually stop using or providing something:
The subsidy for company cars is to be phased out next year.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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