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
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
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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Talarico’s victory marks a preliminary triumph for Democrats who argued that the path to ending the party’s 32-year statewide losing streak runs through coalition-building.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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With Monday evening performances canceled and piles of snow keeping pedestrians and drivers at bay, total grosses fell to $26,036,589 for the week ending March 1, down from $32M the previous week.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After Elmarko Jackson’s flagrant foul stopping a dunk in transition — the play was called a common foul but quickly upgraded to a flagrant-one — the Jayhawks and Sun Devils came together.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
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The car seemed to struggle to merge left into a turn lane, stopping about 30 feet short of the intersection and blocking a lane of traffic.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The trio that was set to make the podium ended up finishing in ninth, 12th and 13th place.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
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Even so, Grimaldi recommends finishing your last meal or snack about three hours before bed and aiming for an overnight fasting window of 13 to 16 hours.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Middleton is in the final months of his expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, which gives him the opportunity to negotiate a new contract with the Mavericks or sign with a new team.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
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Pittsburgh has basically turned Jarry into Stuart Skinner’s expiring contract, Girard and two second-round picks.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As such, Godflesh will cease to perform live starting immediately, and are wrapping up their remaining two albums that were already underway.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
5 Mar. 2026
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In a few days federal funding will be ending for pediatric brain tumor research, and doctors and families are wrapping up clinical trials and trying to transition the lifesaving work elsewhere.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The unusually blunt readout underscores what could be a long enmity between the region and Tehran, with Arab Gulf states concluding that Iran’s drones, missiles, and proxies — essentially the regime itself — pose a regional threat.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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Brooks then moved over to Bold in 2013 to play the strong-willed playboy Wyatt Spencer, earning another Emmy nod in 2021 and concluding his run in 2024.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 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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The White House budget chief’s reported aversion to seeing the deficit widen further on the back of a bigger military bill highlights a phenomenon observed by historian Niall Ferguson, who has said any great power that spends more on debt servicing than on defense risks ceasing to be a great power.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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Please keep praying without ceasing.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Winding up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winding%20up. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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