variants
also winded up
1
as in ended
to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point
try to wind up the performance, as we're almost out of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopped
to come to an end
her speeches usually wind up with one last joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wound up
The plane wound up taking off about an hour later than scheduled.
—
Eve Chen, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Two drivers slammed into two squad cars within a couple of hours and wound up under arrest, records show.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Williams was a damn good running back, even earning All-Pro honors in 2002, but McNabb wound up being selected to six Pro Bowls and even led the Eagles to within a few minutes of winning the franchise's first Super Bowl.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Evans wound up taking less money to leave Tampa Bay and sign with the 49ers.
—Vic Tafur, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
In the 2018 and 2022 transactions, the deals were financed by heavy amounts of debt that inevitably wound up putting pressure on the company.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
The Raptors wound up as NBA champs that season.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez found his control in the third inning and wound up pitching five innings.
—Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
The Heat wound up losing 127-126 in overtime, ending their season.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Eve Chen, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Two drivers slammed into two squad cars within a couple of hours and wound up under arrest, records show.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Williams was a damn good running back, even earning All-Pro honors in 2002, but McNabb wound up being selected to six Pro Bowls and even led the Eagles to within a few minutes of winning the franchise's first Super Bowl.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Evans wound up taking less money to leave Tampa Bay and sign with the 49ers.
—Vic Tafur, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
In the 2018 and 2022 transactions, the deals were financed by heavy amounts of debt that inevitably wound up putting pressure on the company.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
The Raptors wound up as NBA champs that season.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez found his control in the third inning and wound up pitching five innings.
—Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
The Heat wound up losing 127-126 in overtime, ending their season.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wound up
Verb
-
His step-back jumper with 32 seconds left was the exclamation point, a shot that ended Orlando’s final push and extended Detroit’s season.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The program was created by Congress to help quickly protect nationals of countries that, as a result of natural or man-made disasters, were dangerous for people to return to, with routine reevaluations to decide if the protections would be extended or ended.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a preliminary injunction, Judge Robert Pitman stopped short of ordering a temporary air conditioning remedy.—
Leigh Waldman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Swayman stopped the puck but had to freeze it for a defensive-zone faceoff.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In fact, Parker had just finished his first full album with Tortoise, the rapturous TNT, when Mitchell’s invitation arrived.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
-
According to the city, the Brooklyn branch is expected to be completed in 2029, the Bronx and Queens location to be finished in 2031 and the Manhattan jail to be done in 2032.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This comes as one-time pandemic relief aid has expired.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The union’s three-year contract expired last August.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tatum was fast asleep in the car in a further cute image, as the carousel concluded with another selfie of Kardashian and True.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Independent analysts have concluded that after all the changes so far have effectively produced a draw.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Williams promised an investigation but ceased communications.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Rodent issues at Angel Stadium had ceased since a 2007 report in The Times that the stadium had been cited 118 times for vermin violations in the previous two years.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Buckeyes wrapped up spring practice on April 18, then had 11 players — more than any other program in the nation — selected in the NFL Draft last weekend.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The two-weekend event wrapped up Sunday night with Karol G cementing herself in the festival’s history as Coachella’s first Latina headliner.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination for the second straight game with a clutch Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, but celebrations were briefly halted when a skirmish erupted over a controversial hit on Sidney Crosby after the final buzzer.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The two biggest steel producers, Mobarakeh Steel and Khuzestan Steel, as well as smaller mills, halted production.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wound up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wound%20up. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
