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

Gen Xers entering midlife who aren’t ready to wind down just yet. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 June 2026

DeSantis’ office announced the morning press conference with White House Border Czar Tom Homan, an event that overlaps with reports of the temporary facility winding down operations after sending detainees to other federal detention centers. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026

And now, as its final service winds down, its characters are finally free to move on. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 June 2026

The court, which heard arguments in the case in April, did not issue a ruling on birthright citizenship on June 25, leaving it among the final few decisions to be announced as the term winds down. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 25 June 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