as in relaxing
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety
not being one for alcoholic beverages, I prefer to wind down with a cup of tea every night
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Recent Examples of winding down
Bonner sank a 3-pointer from the corner with the shot clock winding down to give Phoenix a 64-62 lead.
—
ABC News, 5 June 2026
Outgoing contractor Triangle Services, whose security division is known as Viking Security, has been winding down its operations in Minnesota, and Ramsey County was its last account in that field.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026
Their rare testimonies, backed by aid and conflict data, depict permissive rules of engagement, rising Palestinian deaths — including children — and commanders signaling Israel is entrenching, not winding down, its Gaza campaign.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
The center has been winding down its programming and has already dismissed most of its programming staff.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 29 May 2026
The Boilermakers federal racketeering conspiracy trial in Kansas City, Kansas, is winding down, with closing arguments scheduled for Monday as the case enters its fifth week.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
The site will be winding down in phases over the next six weeks.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 28 May 2026
The campaign By the time Simpson’s case ended in 2005, DirecTV’s mass lawsuit campaign was already winding down.
—ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
The safest approach is to wait until the interview is winding down or the AI agent explicitly invites you to ask questions.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
ABC News, 5 June 2026
Outgoing contractor Triangle Services, whose security division is known as Viking Security, has been winding down its operations in Minnesota, and Ramsey County was its last account in that field.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026
Their rare testimonies, backed by aid and conflict data, depict permissive rules of engagement, rising Palestinian deaths — including children — and commanders signaling Israel is entrenching, not winding down, its Gaza campaign.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
The center has been winding down its programming and has already dismissed most of its programming staff.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 29 May 2026
The Boilermakers federal racketeering conspiracy trial in Kansas City, Kansas, is winding down, with closing arguments scheduled for Monday as the case enters its fifth week.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
The site will be winding down in phases over the next six weeks.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 28 May 2026
The campaign By the time Simpson’s case ended in 2005, DirecTV’s mass lawsuit campaign was already winding down.
—ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
The safest approach is to wait until the interview is winding down or the AI agent explicitly invites you to ask questions.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winding down
Verb
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Orange blossom Similar to lemon verbena, orange blossom is calming, antispasmodic (relaxing the muscles in the walls of your internal organs), and anti-nausea.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
6 June 2026
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There’s also plenty of time for relaxing poolside and browsing boutiques built into the schedule.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
After the ceasefire, oil prices plunged and bond yields fell, loosening up some of the cost crunch for consumers and businesses alike.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Dulude suggests loosening up the food particles on the microwave walls by placing a bowl of water inside with half a lemon and using a high setting to boil the water.—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What had seemed like a good way of chilling out was actually plunging me into a kind of crisis.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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If holiday burnout has you in the mood for rest and relaxation, the star advises taking a break to enjoy one of her favorite holiday traditions—chilling out at home with the family.—
Essence,
Essence,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winding down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winding%20down. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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