windup

1 of 3

noun

wind·​up ˈwīnd-ˌəp How to pronounce windup (audio)
1
a
: the act of bringing to an end
b
: a concluding act or part : finish
2
a
: a series of regular and distinctive motions (such as swinging the arms) made by a pitcher preparatory to releasing a pitch
b
: an exaggerated backswing (as in tennis)

windup

2 of 3

adjective

: operated by a spring mechanism wound by hand

wind up

3 of 3

verb

wound up also winded up; winding up; winds up

transitive verb

1
: to bring to a conclusion : end
2
a
: to put in order for the purpose of bringing to an end
winds up the meeting
b
British : to effectuate the winding up of

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come to a conclusion
b
: to arrive in a place, situation, or condition at the end or as a result of a course of action
wound up as millionaires
2
: to make a pitching windup

Examples of windup in a Sentence

Noun the windup of the negotiations He went into the windup, then threw the pitch. a pitcher with an unusual windup Her brother's act was just a wind-up to get her angry. Adjective She has an old windup record player in her attic. Verb try to wind up the performance, as we're almost out of time her speeches usually wind up with one last joke
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This movie is part high school reunion, beloved characters finally reunited, part formulaic windup. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024 After a very long windup, Billy Crystal announces that Comedy Central’s The Daily Show — with Jon Stewart, but no longer with Jon Stewart — has won best talk series. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Instead, what’s most substantial about the movie is reduced to an elaborate windup toy, a mechanism of mere spectacle. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024 Advertisement The right-hander, who was pitching independent-league ball in 2022, struck out Shohei Ohtani twice, punctuating his 60-pitch outing with a full windup and violent fist pump after whiffing the Dodgers slugger and National League home run leader with an 82-mph sweeper to end the fifth. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2024
Verb
Take, for example, my industry: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that roughly 9 million tons of furniture wind up in the landfill every year (up from 2 million tons in 1960). Janet Linly, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 That case, Murthy v. Missouri, also wound up before the Supreme Court this past term. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for windup 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'windup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1784, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1583, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of windup was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near windup

Cite this Entry

“Windup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windup. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

windup

1 of 3 noun
wind·​up ˈwīn-ˌdəp How to pronounce windup (audio)
1
a
: the act of bringing to an end
b
: a last act or part : finish
2
: a series of motions (as swinging the arms over the head) made by a pitcher prior to releasing a pitch

windup

2 of 3 adjective
: having a spring wound by hand
windup toys

wind up

3 of 3 verb
(ˈ)wīn-ˈdəp
1
: to bring or come to a conclusion : end
let's wind up the meeting quickly
2
: to arrive in a place, situation, or state
wound up losing the game
wound up as millionaires
3
: to make a windup in pitching a baseball

Legal Definition

wind up

transitive verb
wound up; winding up
: to bring to an end by taking care of unfinished business
ordered to wind up his practice
specifically : to conclude by removing liabilities and distributing any remaining assets to partners or shareholders
wind up the business and affairs of a corporation in dissolution
wind up a receivership

More from Merriam-Webster on windup

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