as in ending
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1
as in finishing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopping
to come to an end
her speeches usually wind up with one last joke
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Recent Examples of winding up
Tom Philp, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
The water is naturally filtered in the wetlands before winding up back in the reservoirs.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
Bianka could be seen winding up and then throwing an impressive pitch down the plate at Dodgers Stadium to be caught by right fielder Mookie Betts, in a video shared on X by a Los Angeles Lakers fan account.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The Biden administration took a more restrictive approach toward the export of American AI, primarily through limits on chip sales that sought to prevent the key hardware from winding up in the hands of foreign adversaries such as China.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 30 July 2025
Verb
Newsom is winding up eight years as governor with a mixed record at best.
—Tom Philp, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
The water is naturally filtered in the wetlands before winding up back in the reservoirs.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
Bianka could be seen winding up and then throwing an impressive pitch down the plate at Dodgers Stadium to be caught by right fielder Mookie Betts, in a video shared on X by a Los Angeles Lakers fan account.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The Biden administration took a more restrictive approach toward the export of American AI, primarily through limits on chip sales that sought to prevent the key hardware from winding up in the hands of foreign adversaries such as China.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 30 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winding up
Verb
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Ducks captain Radko Gudas, slowed by a lower-body injury, insisted on playing in the rematch of a March 12 game in which his knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews led to a season-ending injury for the Toronto captain and a five-game suspension for Gudas.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The legislation also calls for ending the sales tax on school supplies like pens, pencils, crayons, backpacks and lunchboxes, along with energy efficient appliances for residential use, including washers, dryers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and standard-size refrigerators, among others.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Brooke Bereuter was masterful in goal for Grapevine shutting out Argyle (18-4-3) until the shootout, including stopping a key penalty kick in the first half.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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And on Monday, March 30, the court upheld the stay, effectively stopping any chance that the execution would happen as scheduled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The school's practices allowed people to get massage therapy licenses without finishing the required training, according to TDLR.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The series is hosted by Nick Viall, a 45-year old man who starred on The Bachelor after finishing runner-up in two consecutive seasons of The Bachelorette, and his 27-year model and former surgical technologist wife Natalie Joy.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Bulls mostly picked up throwaway, expiring deals at the deadline, but that wasn’t the case with Ivey.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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However, the boost for seniors is only temporary, expiring in 2028.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last, but certainly not least, the PCMag security team has been at the 2026 RSAC Conference this week, which is just wrapping up.—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
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The new single and album news came the day before McCartney is set to do a two-night stand at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, his first live dates since wrapping up a 2025 arena tour in November.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Chicago Board of Education will vote Monday on whether to hire interim CEO Macquline King permanently, concluding a monthslong national search for the school district’s next leader.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Developers and states sued, and federal judges allowed all five to resume construction, essentially concluding that the government didn't show that the national security risk was so imminent that construction must halt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In practice, that involved ceasing to provide links or recommendations to official Potter events and products and committing themselves to directly countering the misinformation Rowling was spreading to her vast online audience.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
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Without ever ceasing to be an artist.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winding up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winding%20up. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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