1
as in ends
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stops
to come to an end
her speeches usually wind up with one last joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 winds up
Parts of the state are forecast to experience moderate to major coastal flooding, inland flash flooding, winds up to 60 mph (97 kph), up to 5 inches (about 13 centimeters) of rain and high surf, potentially causing beach erosion.
—
Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Up to half a foot of rain could fall near the North Carolina coast this weekend, paired with gusty winds up to 45 mph.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
The storm could cause significant impacts, including coastal flooding, beach erosion, heavy rainfall, and strong winds up to 55 miles per hour.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
When the school’s athletic director winds up dead after a heated confrontation with Peyton, the campus gleefully blames the most hated woman in college basketball.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Paul Greengrass’s intense wildfire thriller presents the shocking, most true tale of a school-bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) who winds up having to drive a group of elementary-schoolers through the hellish flames of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in California history.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Arguably the quintessential dark academia novel, Tartt’s campus narrative centers a group of six Classics students who are torn apart after one of them winds up dead.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
But outside of the ring, Christy hides and represses her lesbianism and winds up marrying her trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster), who manipulates and physically abuses her.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
Prater winds up stripped naked and wrapped in plastic in the center of his own trophy room.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Up to half a foot of rain could fall near the North Carolina coast this weekend, paired with gusty winds up to 45 mph.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
The storm could cause significant impacts, including coastal flooding, beach erosion, heavy rainfall, and strong winds up to 55 miles per hour.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
When the school’s athletic director winds up dead after a heated confrontation with Peyton, the campus gleefully blames the most hated woman in college basketball.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Paul Greengrass’s intense wildfire thriller presents the shocking, most true tale of a school-bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) who winds up having to drive a group of elementary-schoolers through the hellish flames of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in California history.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Arguably the quintessential dark academia novel, Tartt’s campus narrative centers a group of six Classics students who are torn apart after one of them winds up dead.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
But outside of the ring, Christy hides and represses her lesbianism and winds up marrying her trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster), who manipulates and physically abuses her.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
Prater winds up stripped naked and wrapped in plastic in the center of his own trophy room.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winds up
Verb
-
The book’s journey through the brain ends at the frontal pole, a region involved in self-reflection — thinking about thinking.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The upheaval comes as brands battle to reverse a slowdown in luxury consumption worldwide, with aspirational consumers turning their backs on high-ends goods after several years of steep price increases in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
So grab a plate, settle in, and let these films take you back to the yard—where the music never stops, the bonds run deep, and every Homecoming feels like family coming home again.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
-
More than 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed, which stops them from reporting to work.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Then came one of the nuttiest finishes those who stayed will ever see.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
With the three goals and one assist on the night, Messi finishes the season with 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 games, one shy of Carlos Vela’s MLS record of 49 goal contributions.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Holiday Bowl’s six-year deal with the ACC and Pac-12 expires after the January game.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
No deal has been announced to continue the game after the contract expires at the end of this season.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Once that process concludes and a final report is issued, the unions can officially legally strike.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
-
For the most part, the players that teams will covet this winter are not eligible to sign new deals until five days after the World Series concludes.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to Havel, this usefulness is so successful, so total, that the story, the history, ceases to exist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
-
If an airport ceases service for more than six hours, you may be reimbursed for non-refundable expenses like flights, hotels, prepaid tours, and change fees.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The 98th Academy Awards are a little over five months away, and with most of the fall festivals behind us (the New York Film Festival wraps up in a week, and AFI Fest is later this month), frontrunners are emerging.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
-
After Season 34 of the competition series wraps up later this year, a slew of fan-favorite professional dancers and some celebrities from the show will embark on a nationwide tour.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For one day only, vehicle traffic halts on the 3,031-foot-long bridge and pedestrians stream across.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The best-cooling cases often reach that mark by spinning up their fans to annoyingly noisy levels, but the MasterFrame 600 halts that trend by having the third-quietest (or fourth-noisiest) sound pressure level of our test lot.—
Thomas Soderstrom,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Winds up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winds%20up. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share