(tr) to lower or move down by cranking
(intr) (of a clock spring) to become slack
(intr) to diminish gradually in force or power; relax
First recorded in 1965–70; noun use of the verb phrase wind down
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Stocks rose and gasoline prices continued to fall after the U.S. and Iran signed an interim peace agreement to wind down the war, capping a holiday-shortened week on a high note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
And one hot AI trade that is starting to wind down is the “bottleneck trade,” says Altreides Management managing partner Gavin Baker.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
He says you won't fall asleep the second the final whistle blows either because "you're going to get so energised, it'll be difficult to wind down".
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
Thailand's junta authorities were criticised for a murky investigation that appeared to wind down shortly after the arrest of the two men.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
I did so, and saw snow whirling thick on a light wind down the street, over the whitened roofs; two or three inches had fallen in the night.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
