wind down

verb

wound down also winded down; winding down; winds down

intransitive verb

1

: to draw gradually toward an end

the party was winding down

2

: relax, unwind

wind down with a good book

transitive verb

: to cause a gradual lessening of usually with the intention of bringing to an end

Synonyms

• chill
• chill out [slang]
• de-stress
• decompress
• loosen up
• mellow (out)
• relax
• unwind

Examples of wind down in a Sentence

not being one for alcoholic beverages, I prefer to wind down with a cup of tea every night

Recent Examples on the Web

Redstone also could wind down her family’s holdings by selling a big stake, or all of National Amusements. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024

Protest leaders hope to harness the energy that has powered pro-Palestinian protests on dozens of college campuses in recent weeks, most of which are expected to largely wind down as soon as the spring semester ends. —Nik Popli, TIME, 9 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1