wind up
The phrase 'wind up' has versatile meanings, ranging from concluding activities to causing agitation or excitement.
Definition
B2General
To bring an activity, event, or process to a conclusion.
Example
- Let's wind up the meeting by summarizing our key points.
- They wound up their trip with a visit to the museum.
B1Mechanical
(technical)To tighten or coil a spring or similar mechanism to store energy.
Example
- You need to wind up the clock every day to keep it running.
- He wound up the toy car and watched it zoom across the floor.
B2Emotional
(informal)To cause someone to become agitated, excited, or anxious.
Example
- Talking about politics always winds him up.
- She gets really wound up before exams.
C1Business
(formal)To close or liquidate a business or organization.
Example
- The company decided to wind up its operations due to financial losses.
- They are in the process of winding up the partnership.
B2British English
(informal, slang)To tease or play a prank on someone.
Example
- He loves to wind up his little brother by hiding his toys.
- Don't take him seriously; he's just winding you up.
C1Baseball
(sports)To make the preparatory movements for a certain kind of pitch.
Example
- The pitcher wound up and threw a fastball.
- He has a unique wind-up that confuses the batters.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "wind up":
wind offwind downcrank upend upspin upspool upwork upwrap upamp upgin upwrapped upstring uprun upcranked uptie uptwist in the windrark upbound upamped upcrank the handleball upclock upwarm uppump upfire up