Dictionary.com

windup

or wind-up

[ wahynd-uhp ]
/ ˈwaɪndˌʌp /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR windup ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the conclusion of any action, activity, etc.; the end or close.
a final act or part.
Baseball. the preparatory movements of the arm before pitching a ball.Compare stretch (def. 22).
Informal. a mechanical object, as a toy or wristwatch, that is driven by a spring or similar mechanism that must be wound.
an act or instance of winding up.

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Origin of windup

First recorded in 1565–75; noun use of verb phrase wind up

Words nearby windup

wind-swept, wind tee, windtight, wind tunnel, wind turbine, windup, wind vane, windward, Windward Islands, Windward Passage, windway
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to windup

farewell, completion, expiry, breakdown, divorce, dissolution, split, separation, termination, disintegration, closure, conclusion, culmination, integration, fulfillment, realization, achievement, expiration, finalization, development

Example sentences from the Web for windup

British Dictionary definitions for windup

wind up
/ (waɪnd) /

verb (adverb)

noun wind-up

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with windup

wind up
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]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.