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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Recent Examples of winding down
With no agreement in place, the government will soon begin the arduous process of winding down operations, sending furlough notices, and notifying contractors.
—
Nik Popli, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
The outcome of that vote will determine whether federal operations continue or begin winding down.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The resort's airy suites with private terraces are ideal for winding down in solitude, while its pool and holistic spa round out the experience.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Industry types were fond of hanging out there after a hard night, playing ping pong and winding down with food and drink.
—Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Their WithFriends and GoFundMe pages will stay active through December to help in the process of winding down.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Top picks San Diego’s busy summer season may be winding down, but that hardly means the region’s artistic and cultural machines come to a screeching halt.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
Though the Eternal Sunshine Tour will be far smaller than Grande’s last trek, which spanned 10 months with nearly 100 dates, the Wicked star has expressed that winding down the scale of her touring output has been necessary to redefining her relationship to performing in a healthy way.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
The Nintendo Switch 2's first summer is winding down.
—PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Nik Popli, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
The outcome of that vote will determine whether federal operations continue or begin winding down.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The resort's airy suites with private terraces are ideal for winding down in solitude, while its pool and holistic spa round out the experience.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Industry types were fond of hanging out there after a hard night, playing ping pong and winding down with food and drink.
—Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Their WithFriends and GoFundMe pages will stay active through December to help in the process of winding down.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Top picks San Diego’s busy summer season may be winding down, but that hardly means the region’s artistic and cultural machines come to a screeching halt.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
Though the Eternal Sunshine Tour will be far smaller than Grande’s last trek, which spanned 10 months with nearly 100 dates, the Wicked star has expressed that winding down the scale of her touring output has been necessary to redefining her relationship to performing in a healthy way.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
The Nintendo Switch 2's first summer is winding down.
—PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winding down
Verb
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Users can ask for playlists to match specific moods, like study focus, workout energy, or relaxing evening, and Spotify will surface the most fitting options.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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The Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock is just $24, perfect for relaxing under the trees after a day of exploring.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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 8 Oct. 2025.
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