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
After 32 years, fashion designer Stan Herman is winding down his time at QVC.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
With the play clock winding down, Mahomes caught the Raiders by surprise by snapping the ball and handing it off to running back Kareem Hunt, who plowed through defenders for a gain of 3 yards and a first down.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Detroit safety Brian Branch let his emotions get the best of him as the clock was winding down to zero.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
By early September, the crime crackdown in Washington was also winding down.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025
But the department is not behaving like an agency that is simply winding down.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
This is an alarm clock and sound machine in one, with a huge bank of various sounds and meditations, as well as a customizable light show for winding down and waking up.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
The party was winding down, but there was a special guest Yang didn’t want to miss.
—Charlotte Goddu, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
But that’s been winding down in recent months, and the family decided to officially close the museum at the end of September.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
With the play clock winding down, Mahomes caught the Raiders by surprise by snapping the ball and handing it off to running back Kareem Hunt, who plowed through defenders for a gain of 3 yards and a first down.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Detroit safety Brian Branch let his emotions get the best of him as the clock was winding down to zero.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
By early September, the crime crackdown in Washington was also winding down.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025
But the department is not behaving like an agency that is simply winding down.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
This is an alarm clock and sound machine in one, with a huge bank of various sounds and meditations, as well as a customizable light show for winding down and waking up.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
The party was winding down, but there was a special guest Yang didn’t want to miss.
—Charlotte Goddu, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
But that’s been winding down in recent months, and the family decided to officially close the museum at the end of September.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winding down
Verb
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The Athmile Wide-Leg Sweatpants, which shoppers love for traveling, running errands, and relaxing at home, have a super-soft fleece lining and pockets big enough for smartphones.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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In the past two decades, self-expression has become a tacit expectation in many white-collar workplaces, with dress codes relaxing and companies professing interest in their employees’ lives and values.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Part of that is loosening up streamers’ bids for lengthy contract terms on series, potentially in exchange for less money.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the moon and Venus connect, chilling out doesn’t have to be a snooze-fest.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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Screenshots of the viral video show Punky bear chilling out in the poster's pool.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winding down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winding%20down. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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