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

That is not to say that a certain percentage of college graduates, from elite colleges and otherwise, don’t wind up in situations similar to Mr. Hoffman’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

As the company prepares for a public launch, experts have said SpaceX’s IPO could wind up a friend or foe to the space sector, which itself is no stranger to meme stocks.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

The biggest losers in this college sports free-for-all, however, may wind up being taxpayers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Likewise, successful small-caps of all stripes eventually wind up in indexes like the S&P 500, making that a safer option for long-term investors.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Even by the standards of Wall Street villains whose character flaws wind up being exaggerated to fit the crime, Cassano, in the retelling, became a cartoon monster.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

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