wind up

British  

/ waɪnd /

verb

1. to bring to or reach a conclusion

   he wound up the proceedings

2. (tr) to tighten the spring of (a clockwork mechanism)

3. informal (tr; usually passive) to make nervous, tense, etc; excite

   he was all wound up before the big fight

4. (tr) to roll (thread, etc) into a ball

5. an informal word for liquidate

6. informal (intr) to end up (in a specified state)

   you'll wind up without any teeth

7. (tr; usually passive) to involve; entangle

   they were wound up in three different scandals

8. (tr) to hoist or haul up

9. slang (tr) to tease (someone)

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noun

1. the act of concluding

2. the finish; end

3. slang an act or instance of teasing

   she just thinks it's a big wind-up

wind up Idioms  

1. Come or bring to a finish, as in The party was winding up, so we decided to leave , or Let's wind up the meeting and get back to work . [Early 1800s] Also see wind down .

2. Put in order, settle, as in She had to wind up her affairs before she could move . [Late 1700s]

3. Arrive somewhere following a course of action, end up, as in We got lost and wound up in another town altogether , or If you're careless with your bank account, you can wind up overdrawn . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

If your parent remarries — and then dies — will the surviving spouse wind up with a big chunk of the estate that would’ve gone to you?

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

No wonder so many Annapolis grads wind up working in government.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

The responses from social media companies were in lockstep: If you think we’re bad, wait until you see where your children wind up without us.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

They didn’t wind up wearing the same uniform by accident, however.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

Did I ever think I would wind up here getting old?

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• close
• complete
• conclude
• do
• end up
• finish up
• settle
• wrap up