wind up
Britishverb
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to bring to or reach a conclusion
he wound up the proceedings
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(tr) to tighten the spring of (a clockwork mechanism)
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informal (tr; usually passive) to make nervous, tense, etc; excite
he was all wound up before the big fight
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(tr) to roll (thread, etc) into a ball
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an informal word for liquidate
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informal (intr) to end up (in a specified state)
you'll wind up without any teeth
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(tr; usually passive) to involve; entangle
they were wound up in three different scandals
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(tr) to hoist or haul up
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slang (tr) to tease (someone)
noun
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the act of concluding
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the finish; end
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slang an act or instance of teasing
she just thinks it's a big wind-up
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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 .
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Put in order, settle, as in She had to wind up her affairs before she could move . [Late 1700s]
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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]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Times newspaper has reported, external allegations that Alaba attempted to wind up one of his business before settling one of two bounce back loans he had taken out.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Otherwise you could wind up behind the wheel.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
In fact, it’s been common in recent years for employers to wind up paying more than they first projected, according to Wardrip.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
They can wind up with a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease like emphysema, tethered to oxygen as their health declines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
I figured I would wind up as bad as my rotten city.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
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.
