wind down

verb

wound down also winded down; winding down; winds down

intransitive verb

1

: to draw gradually toward an end

the party was winding down

2

: relax, unwind

wind down with a good book

transitive verb

: to cause a gradual lessening of usually with the intention of bringing to an end

Synonyms of wind down

• relax
• chill out

Examples of wind down in a Sentence

not being one for alcoholic beverages, I prefer to wind down with a cup of tea every night

Recent Examples on the Web

As the day winds down, there’s no better finale than a sunset supper on the deck at Hello, Sailor, the Kindreds’ playful take on a classic North Carolina fish camp. — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 7 July 2026

Amazon purchased the nine Atlas V launches from ULA in 2021, scooping up all of the launch provider’s unsold Atlas Vs as the program started winding down in favor of ULA’s Vulcan launch vehicle. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026

But these reserves remain critically low, and the administration will be keeping an eye on their levels as the clock winds down on the 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). — David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

Almost two weeks after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, most international rescue teams have either left or are winding down operations. — Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for wind down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown