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

As the party wound down, the man cut through the crowd to again offer Ingram a drink. —Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024

His first stop will be Detroit, as early voting starts to wind down. —The Hill Staff, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024

November to remain active Hurricane season typically winds down in November, but this year has already proven itself to be anything but typical. —Mary Gilbert, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024

News of Groff’s Étoile gig comes as the series is winding down production on its eight-episode first season, production of which has been split between Paris and New York. —Michael Ausiello, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1