WINDING DOWN Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

winding down

verb

present participle of wind down

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tensing (up)

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of winding down With camp in Arizona winding down, the Dodgers have decided on their 13-man pitching staff (plus two-way star Shohei Ohtani). —

Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 With just under two minutes left in the first half and the shot clock winding down, UCLA guard Donovan Dent shot a desperation 3-pointer. —

Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026 The major weekend snowstorm in Minnesota is winding down Sunday evening, but a NEXT Weather Alert will remain in effect through overnight Monday. —

Aki Nace, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026 North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its nuclear program. —

ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026 The age of species discovery is not winding down. —

Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026 Buxton was home in Georgia this off-season, winding down by the fireplace on his patio after a family visit to the Happiest Place On Earth. —

Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 This native perennial produces beautiful daisy-like flowers late in summer into fall, just when many other plants are winding down for the season. —

Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026 The night, winding down, promised to be memorable. —

Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for winding down

Verb

Nakheon Choi of South Korea captured a slice of life in the country's capital, depicting workers relaxing in the Cheonggyecheon stream that runs through Seoul during a busy day in the concrete jungle.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Mar. 2026
South Africa’s anti-trust regulator is holding private talks with the telecoms industry about relaxing competition rules, signaling that regulators in Africa’s biggest economy may be willing to make changes that could unleash a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the sector.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026