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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The campaign stop came as his Democratic rival, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is also campaigning throughout the state as early voting winds down. The Hill Staff, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024 Trump's comment is the latest example of his increasingly violent rhetoric against his political enemies as his 2024 campaign winds down. Jessica Boehm, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024 As its annual film festival winds down this weekend, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) announced the award winners for the 27th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024 Live sports has provided some motivation for some customers to stay tethered, but Comcast has been proactive with its sports rights, winding down cable outlet NBC Sports Network and shifting a considerable amount of live inventory to Peacock, sometimes in simulcasts with NBC. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wind down 

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wind down was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near wind down

Cite this Entry

“Wind down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wind%20down. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!