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
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
This new round of chaos only feeds the anxiety that has enveloped the California Democratic Party for months, stirred by fears that the lack of a singular party front-runner might lead to two Republicans winding up on the November ballot.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
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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The Dayton Peace Accords spring to mind, named for the city that hosted talks ending the three years of bloodletting and civil war in Bosnia in the early 1990.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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After vacating the conviction, the judge took the additional step of dismissing the murder charge against Martinez, ending the criminal case against him entirely.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Let’s imagine—in a case of truly terrible architectural planning—that there is only one extremely slow elevator, stopping at each floor and taking one minute per floor.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
21 Apr. 2026
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Schools brought in counselors for the victims’ young classmates and community leaders called for a citywide reckoning on stopping domestic violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Soorty partnered with finishing technology company Jeanologia on Easy Wash, a capsule collection built on a less-is-more philosophy.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Dave Gavitt started the league while finishing up his coaching career at Providence, and then tapped his right-hand man, Mike Tranghese, to take over.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mead has started 10 of Arsenal’s 17 WSL matches this season, and with her contract expiring in June — the same month as England’s final two qualifiers — her next move feels crucial.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Furthermore, Monterrey said, the CTA had given it notice just a month ago that the contract would be extended for a final one-year option expiring in early April 2027.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gaga is currently on tour, wrapping up the final shows of the Mayhem Ball tour.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
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The Savannah contingent seems to be wrapping up their story line down there, too.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In November 2024, the justices reversed a Court of Appeals decision and remanded the case back to Dakota County District Court for a new trial, concluding that jurors should have heard instructions on Baker’s claim of self-defense and defense of others.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
15 Apr. 2026
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Patrick O’Rourke, who represented Children’s Hospital Colorado, countered that Eckhart was right in determining the harm to the hospital outweighs the plaintiffs’ loss of care, but made a mistake in concluding the decision to stop the care was likely discrimination.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 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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With the conflict still ongoing and the Central cluster continuing to lose members, the question now is whether the larger group can survive at all — or whether this lopsided war will end with one side simply ceasing to exist.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Iran also says that ceasing hostilities in Lebanon, where Israel has dramatically stepped up attacks in recent weeks, will be part of larger peace negotiations.—
Will Weissert,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winding up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winding%20up. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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