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

Rojas wore Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s blue glove, wiggled the ball in it and hesitated during his windup.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025

Clever as all that is, the windup has problems, as is true for many new shows finding their final shape.

From New York Times • Oct. 22, 2023

The original key had been lost in the fire, and all the other keys he found around the station and in the windup toys from the booth didn’t fit.

From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick