1
as in to end
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point
try to wind up the performance, as we're almost out of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to come to an end
her speeches usually wind up with one last joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ending
the last part of a process or action
wait until the windup of your sales pitch before giving up any information about the product's price point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of wind up
Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Boise was expected to see winds up to 8 mph on Friday.
—Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
That’s certainly not unique to McCarthy’s work, but the windup rabbit toy in Caveat is distinctly unnerving, thanks in large part to its weirdly human eyes.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wind up
Verb
Leyden, who was down on her luck after losing her jewelry business and had become estranged from her family, wound up in a homeless shelter.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Boise was expected to see winds up to 8 mph on Friday.
—Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
Noun
So this last question has a bit of a windup.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
That’s certainly not unique to McCarthy’s work, but the windup rabbit toy in Caveat is distinctly unnerving, thanks in large part to its weirdly human eyes.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wind up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wind up
Verb
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Detroit catcher Dylan Dinger’s throw wasn’t in time to get Bichette, but shortstop Zach Short threw home to get Benge, ending the inning with the game still tied.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
Seiya Suzuki, up for the second time with two on, struck out to end the eighth.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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This $20 maxi dress is versatile enough to serve multiple occasions and seasons—and shoppers can’t stop buying multiples of them.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
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Goalkeeper Isabell Ikirt stopped a shot by Oconee County’s Sydney Jackson, prompting celebration by Jefferson, but the Dragons were told Ikirt had come off the line.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
That’s a tragic ending that nobody who cares for animals wants to see.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
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The ending with Raiden and the others is all fans get in terms of a tease for a sequel.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Northwestern recruit Nolan Ramoley went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI for Brother Rice (21-9, 11-2), while Purdue Northwest commit Treylan Webster finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
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Denver finished 12-2 that season, reaching its first playoff game since the franchise’s founding.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Second-year guard Sarah Ashlee Barker scored the game-winner on a put-back right before time expired, and pandemonium ensued.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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An Israeli source told CNN that the idea of a sunset clause has been floated in negotiations – a provision that would allow some restrictions to expire after a set number of years.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Noun
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The chatbots then walked back some of their original conclusions, with Claude specifically noting that its original planning horizon was too short.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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Officials have said the descriptions reflect observations made at the time and do not include conclusions about the nature of the phenomena.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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But on the flip side, some studies conclude that CODAs learn from playing interpreter at a young age to communicate better personally and professionally later in life, and may grow up endowed with special talents for conveying and reading facial expressions and gestures.—
Bob Brody,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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The Supreme Court paved the way for the phenomenon in a series of rulings, concluding that political spending is free speech.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
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During his temporary leadership, FEMA ceased door-to-door canvassing to reach survivors after disasters, and canceled a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program, since restored by a federal judge.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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The 47,000-square-foot store has been vacant since last June, when retail operations ceased following parent company Kroger’s decision to close several Chicago-area and suburban stores.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wind up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wind%20up. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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