windup

1 of 3

noun

wind·​up ˈwīnd-ˌəp 

1

a

: the act of bringing to an end

b

: a concluding act or part : finish

2

a

: a series of regular and distinctive motions (such as swinging the arms) made by a pitcher preparatory to releasing a pitch

b

: an exaggerated backswing (as in tennis)

windup

2 of 3

adjective

: operated by a spring mechanism wound by hand

wind up

3 of 3

verb

wound up also winded up; winding up; winds up

transitive verb

1

: to bring to a conclusion : end

2

a

: to put in order for the purpose of bringing to an end

winds up the meeting

b

British : to effectuate the winding up of

intransitive verb

1

a

: to come to a conclusion

b

: to arrive in a place, situation, or condition at the end or as a result of a course of action

wound up as millionaires

2

: to make a pitching windup

Synonyms

Noun

• ending
• conclusion
• end
• finale
• closing
• culmination

Verb

• end
• finish
• conclude

Examples of windup in a Sentence

Noun

the windup of the negotiations

He went into the windup, then threw the pitch.

a pitcher with an unusual windup

Her brother's act was just a wind-up to get her angry.

Adjective

She has an old windup record player in her attic.

Verb

try to wind up the performance, as we're almost out of time

her speeches usually wind up with one last joke

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That’s certainly not unique to McCarthy’s work, but the windup rabbit toy in Caveat is distinctly unnerving, thanks in large part to its weirdly human eyes. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025

Two and two to Harvey Kuenn, one strike away, Sandy into his windup. —Steve Futterman, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025

Adjective

That’s certainly not unique to McCarthy’s work, but the windup rabbit toy in Caveat is distinctly unnerving, thanks in large part to its weirdly human eyes. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025

All skill levels can compete in the contest, which will feature a Beginner’s Luck division where competitors can perform beginner yo-yo tricks like the windup, dribble and forward pass to earn raffle tickets for prizes. —Kathryn Kovalenko, Twin Cities, 11 June 2025

Verb

The New York Jets woke up Sunday with a road game to play against Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals and wound up hearing unexpected news as legendary former player Nick Mangold died due to complications of kidney disease. —Nick Meyer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

Hurricane Melissa — now a deadly Category 5 storm — is winding up to strike Jamaica with what could be the strongest winds ever recorded on the Caribbean island. —Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1784, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1583, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for windup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

windup

1 of 3 noun

wind·​up ˈwīn-ˌdəp 

1

a

: the act of bringing to an end

b

: a last act or part : finish

2

: a series of motions (as swinging the arms over the head) made by a pitcher prior to releasing a pitch

windup

2 of 3 adjective

: having a spring wound by hand

windup toys

wind up

3 of 3 verb

(ˈ)wīn-ˈdəp

1

: to bring or come to a conclusion : end

let's wind up the meeting quickly

2

: to arrive in a place, situation, or state

wound up losing the game

wound up as millionaires

3

: to make a windup in pitching a baseball

Legal Definition

wind up

transitive verb

wound up; winding up

: to bring to an end by taking care of unfinished business

ordered to wind up his practice

specifically : to conclude by removing liabilities and distributing any remaining assets to partners or shareholders

wind up the business and affairs of a corporation in dissolution

wind up a receivership