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

Moving forward, the market is closely watching how much longer airlines can pass these costs onto consumers once the peak summer travel season winds down. — CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026

As summer slowly winds down, prepping for last-minute getaways and back-to-school season is top of mind. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 3 Aug. 2026

With time winding down ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, the Red Sox continue to look for more offense and pitching. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Sabrina Carpenter appears to be winding down promotion of her most recent album, Man’s Best Friend. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 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