1
as in to end
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 to stop
to come to an end
her speeches usually wind up with one last joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ending
the last part of a process or action
wait until the windup of your sales pitch before giving up any information about the product's price point
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wind up
Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Apple was supposed to launch the next generation of its Siri AI assistant last year, but the company wound up delaying that release.
—Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
Steve Futterman, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
Buy a couple of in-line, windup timers.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wind up
Verb
Rodrigo De Paul, whose purchase option after his loan from Atlético Madrid was exercised, is taking one of them, and as long as Allende doesn’t wind up taking the other, the club will have a vacant DP spot to fill this winter and the ability to lure another top talent to the reigning champion.
—Noun
Two and two to Harvey Kuenn, one strike away, Sandy into his windup.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for wind up
Verb
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The administration has quietly directed diplomats to press allies on restricting inflows, enhancing deportation mechanisms, and ending policies perceived as favoring migrants over citizens.—
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This abuse of justice must end.—
Verb
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Several vehicles that stopped behind her appear to belong to federal agents, based on activity observed in other videos.—
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The prioritization for that new safety should probably be in coverage skills, because Moehrig and Ransom are known more for their run-stopping and tackling prowesses.—
Noun
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Did the 'Christy' ending happen in real life?—
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The ending of the film certainly leaves it open to the possibility.—
Verb
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Reed recently finished his seventh season with the Panthers, resulting in his fewest wins yet with a 4-7 record.—
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The Clippers were up 85-81 late in the third before the Knicks finished strong to take a 90-87 edge to the fourth.—
Verb
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Kick your tattered bath mat to the curb, and grab the Yimobra Memory Foam Bath Rug before the deal expires.—
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January was set to host a free-agent frenzy, with most league veterans aligning their contracts to expire in advance of the new CBA.—
Noun
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With Donna’s Banishment seeming almost a forgone conclusion, Cumming summoned the players back to a special morning edition of the Roundtable to just get the inevitable out of the way.—
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Ball certainly didn’t have any issue getting into the action, posting a team-best 11 first-quarter points on the strength of making his first three attempts and banking in a running 3-pointer off the glass at the buzzer, signaling the conclusion of the game’s initial 12 minutes.—
Verb
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North Texas won 27 games and advanced to the semifinals of the NIT to conclude the 2024-25 season.—
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Congress concluded that not all civil-rights crises could be solved by lawsuits, arrests, or federal force.—
Verb
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From December through February, shuttle service largely ceases (outside of select days and weekends; check shuttle schedules for up-to-date details).—
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Meanwhile, over in Britain, a vibrant antiwar movement brought on motion after motion in Parliament to cease fire and end all offensive operations against the rebels.—
Cite this Entry
“Wind up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wind%20up. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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