windup

noun

wind·up | \ ˈwīnd-ˌəp

Definition of windup

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : the act of bringing to an end

b : a concluding act or part : finish

2a : 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

adjective

Definition of windup (Entry 2 of 3)

: operated by a spring mechanism wound by hand

wind up

verb

wound up also winded up; winding up; winds up

Definition of wind up (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to bring to a conclusion : end

2a : 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

1a : 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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About windup

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Kershaw, 34, crafted his windup under the tutelage of Skip Johnson, his first pitching coach and now the head coach at the University of Oklahoma. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2022 With her slingshot pitch, never a windup, Tatum hurled no-hitter after no-hitter. — Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2022 This is a long windup to say, the Beavers should have seen this coming. — oregonlive, 20 Feb. 2022 With 13:41 left in the third period and the Coyotes trailing by one goal, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s initial shot deflected off Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and slid over to an open Erik Haula with the windup. — Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 30 Jan. 2022 Mann is, first, a supremely gifted storyteller, adept at the slow windup and the rapid turn of the screw. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2022 At Rockefeller Center in New York City Wednesday night, a 79-foot-tall, 12-ton Norway spruce was eventually the centerpiece of a two-hour windup that included performances from Harry Connick Jr., Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and other artists. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2021 The folks at ApolloHou even made a T-shirt diagramming the steps of the windup. — Matt Young, Chron, 29 Oct. 2021 This windup machine was a busted relic from an earlier age. — Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in hospitals. — Arkansas Online, 16 Apr. 2022 As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in the hospital. — Laura Ungar, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Apr. 2022 Marte, who finished last season with Oakland, was not the only 33-year-old castoff from the cost-cutting A’s to wind up in Flushing. — New York Times, 15 Apr. 2022 As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in the hospital. — Laura Ungar, chicagotribune.com, 15 Apr. 2022 According to most outlets, UConn is currently projected as a No. 5 seed that could wind up playing in Buffalo. — Shreyas Laddha, courant.com, 12 Mar. 2022 People might get sick, but with immunity on our side, the proportion of cases that wind up in the hospital would also dwindle—a deceptively comforting statistic to see. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2022 Also, the barrels used for this bourbon will head to Ireland for McGuane to use to age Irish whiskey that will wind up in future J.J. Corry blends. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2022 With McVay’s and Shanahan’s influence spreading across the NFL, there is a chance Robinson could wind up with a team that runs a similar offense to the one Coen used at Kentucky. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, 2 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'windup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About windup

Dictionary Entries Near windup

wind turbine

windup

wind up

Statistics for windup

Last Updated

22 Apr 2022

Cite this Entry

“Windup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windup. Accessed 22 May. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for windup

windup

noun

wind·up | \ ˈwīnd-ˌəp

Kids Definition of windup

1 : the last part of something : finish

2 : a swing of a baseball pitcher's arm before the pitch is thrown

wind up

transitive verb

wound up; winding up

Legal Definition of wind 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