windup

American  

[wahynd-uhp] / ˈwaɪndˌʌp /

Or wind-up

noun

1. the conclusion of any action, activity, etc.; the end or close.

2. a final act or part.

3. Baseball. the preparatory movements of the arm before pitching a ball.

4. Informal. a mechanical object, as a toy or wristwatch, that is driven by a spring or similar mechanism that must be wound.

5. an act or instance of winding up.

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Etymology

Origin of windup

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

Explanation

In baseball, the arm and body movements a pitcher makes just before throwing the ball are collectively called the windup. Sports announcers repeat this phrase throughout baseball games: "Here's the windup...and the pitch!" You can also use windup to mean "conclusion." At the windup of a lengthy meeting, everyone will collect their papers and laptops, and several people will yawn and stretch. The windup of a political campaign might include one last speech and a full-page ad in a newspaper, just before the election. This is the oldest meaning of windup, dating from the 16th century. As an adjective, windup can mean "operated by a mechanism," like a windup toy.

Example Sentences

On Wednesday he was an automaton, almost like a windup toy.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2025

Early designs included fake vomit and a plastic robot called Mr. Machine, a windup robot that was transparent, allowing children to see how the gears worked.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

Yamamoto’s grip could be seen in the feed from the center-field camera when he was pitching out of a windup, which he starts by holding his pitching hand in his glove at about neck height.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2024

They wanted to see if there was an underlying injury causing the problem or a biomechanical inefficiency in his windup or release point.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

And with movements as jerky as those of a windup toy, he struggled upright, wheeled around, plunged back into the truck, circled awkwardly around the plaza area, and drove back up to the ranch.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols