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

Finally, wind down with a farewell dinner in 12South, then end the night at Station Inn — generally cash-only cover, no frills, just great music. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026

The remainder of the manufacturing operations are expected to wind down by the end of the year, Hatfield said. —Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026

But with Wagner and Anthony Black back, as well as Carter and Cain on the mend, Orlando’s overall health is trending up as the regular season winds down. —Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026

Oil prices are likely to continue to move lower as the Iran war continues to wind down, further taking the steam out of energy stocks' rallies, according to Roth Capital. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 8 Apr. 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