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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopping
to come to an end
her speeches usually wind up with one last joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ending
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of winding up
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
Adjective
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
-
Ohtani had reached base safely a World Series-record 11 consecutive times after walking in the first inning, but Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber struck him out in the third inning, ending the impressive streak.—
Wayne Sterling,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The birthing experience was a surprising, but happy ending to an easy pregnancy.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Despite the logic gleaned from the accounting books arguing to the contrary, spending is showing no signs of stopping.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As a result, the Miss Universe Organization revoked her title for breaching contractual obligations by competing in another external pageant before finishing her reign.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Hilton kept it sleek in a black mini-dress with fishnet panels and thigh-high boots, finishing her look with dark shades and blunt bangs.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Policyholders with expiring contracts could lose coverage and funds to pay claims have dropped $30 billion due to the shutdown.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
30 Oct. 2025
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That's because funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is expiring for the first time in history.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At 52, Pharrell Williams is wrapping up the most fruitful year of his career.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
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But just hours after the final putt dropped, Homa took to Instagram to confirm wrapping up his season with a long message.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Williams, while concluding the trial, brought up the incident and accused Dennis of felonies, the lawsuit says.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
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The fourth inning started with a single by Kirk, concluding an eight-pitch at-bat immediately prior to Varsho’s homer.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But what was accomplished from the meeting remains unclear as Russia increased its aerial bombardment on Ukraine rather than ceasing military operations following the talks.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
And calling for a ceasefire means ceasing fire.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The veteran has seen his role in the passing game dwindle significantly over his NFL career.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
29 Oct. 2025
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Patrick Mahomes was solid, and Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice both had big nights in the passing game on Monday.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winding up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winding%20up. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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