put the wind up (someone)

idiom

British, informal
: to make (someone) afraid or nervous
I tried to put the wind up him by threatening to call the police.

Examples of put the wind up (someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other factors that could put the wind up investors: a rise in new coronavirus infections from variants, and signs of a pickup in options that suggest high volatility. Larry Light, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'put the wind up (someone).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near put the wind up (someone)

Cite this Entry

“Put the wind up (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20the%20wind%20up%20%28someone%29. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!