wind up
highinformal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
to bring something to an end; to conclude or finish a process or activity.
1. To tease, provoke, or annoy someone, especially in a playful manner. 2. (Of a watch, clock, or mechanism) to tighten the spring by turning a key or knob to make it operate. 3. To find oneself in an unexpected or particular situation, often as a result of preceding actions.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The phrasal verb is separable. When used to mean 'finish', it can be used transitively ('wind up the meeting') or intransitively ('the meeting will wind up soon'). Its meaning is often idiomatic and dependent on context. As a noun ('a wind-up'), it specifically refers to an act of teasing or a mechanism for winding a spring.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The sense of 'teasing' or 'provoking' someone is predominantly British. In American English, this sense is less common and might be expressed as 'messing with' or 'yanking someone's chain'. The sense of 'ending' or 'concluding' is common to both varieties. As a noun for a mechanical toy operated by a key, 'wind-up' is understood but less common in the US, where 'wind-up toy' is used.
Connotations
In British English, 'to wind someone up' often has a playful, cheeky connotation, though it can also signify genuine annoyance depending on context and tone. In American English, the primary connotation is simply 'to bring to a conclusion'.
Frequency
The 'conclude' sense is high-frequency in both varieties. The 'tease' sense is very high-frequency in British English but low-frequency in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[transitive] wind up something[intransitive] something winds up[transitive] wind somebody up[intransitive] wind up + prepositional phrase (e.g., wind up in debt)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “wind up in the same place”
- “wind up doing something (against one's original intention)”
- “wind up nowhere”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the formal process of concluding a company's affairs, often through liquidation. E.g., 'The directors decided to wind up the subsidiary.'
Academic
Used to describe the conclusion of a paper, argument, or lecture. E.g., 'The author winds up the chapter with a summary of key points.'
Everyday
Commonly used to describe ending an activity, event, or conversation. Also used (chiefly BrE) for teasing. E.g., 'Let's wind up this game and head home.' / 'Stop winding me up!'
Technical
Describes the action of tightening the mainspring of a mechanical device, like a watch or a toy. E.g., 'The mechanism requires winding up every 24 hours.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We should wind up this discussion before lunch.
- My brother loves to wind me up about my taste in music.
- If you keep spending like that, you'll wind up with no savings.
American English
- Let's wind up the conference call by 3 PM.
- The estate will be wound up according to the will.
- After taking a wrong turn, we wound up in a completely different town.
adjective
British English
- He bought a vintage wind-up gramophone.
- Her wind-up comments always got a reaction.
American English
- The old soldier had a collection of wind-up toy tanks.
- It was just a wind-up remark, not meant seriously.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The game will wind up in five minutes.
- I need to wind up my old music box.
- They decided to wind up the company after ten years of losses.
- Don't listen to him; he's just trying to wind you up.
- After a lengthy legal battle, the partnership was formally wound up.
- How did a simple joke wind up causing such offence?
- The committee will wind up its inquiry and publish findings next month.
- His tendency to wind up opponents is a deliberate tactical ploy on the pitch.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an old-fashioned clock. You use a key to WIND it UP until it's tight. When the winding is finished, the clock starts. Similarly, to WIND UP a meeting is to give it the final 'twist' that allows everyone to leave.
Conceptual Metaphor
FINISHING IS COILING A SPRING TO ITS END / AN EMOTIONAL STATE IS A SPRING BEING TIGHTENED (for the 'tease' sense).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with the noun 'wind' (/wɪnd/, ветер).
- Do not confuse with the phrasal verb 'wind down' (which means to relax or gradually reduce).
- The 'tease' sense has no direct single-word equivalent in Russian; it overlaps with 'дразнить', 'подкалывать', 'доводить'.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing it as /wɪnd ʌp/ (like the weather phenomenon).
- Using the wrong particle: 'wind off' or 'wind out' instead of 'wind up'.
- Confusing 'wind up' (conclude) with 'wind down' (relax).
- Incorrect word order: 'He wound the meeting quickly up.' (Correct: 'He wound up the meeting quickly.' or 'He quickly wound up the meeting.')
Practice
Quiz
In British English, 'He's just winding you up' most likely means:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It spans registers. 'Wind up a company' is a formal, legal term. 'Wind up a meeting' is neutral. 'Wind someone up' (tease) is informal.
The past tense and past participle is 'wound up' (/waʊnd ʌp/). E.g., 'The meeting wound up late.' / 'She had wound up the clock.'
Yes, in an informal, resultative sense. It describes ending in a particular state, often unexpectedly. E.g., 'He wound up being the manager.'
They are often interchangeable in the 'result' sense. 'Wind up' can imply a more meandering or unintentional path to that result, while 'end up' is more neutral. 'Wind up' also has the specific 'conclude' and 'tease' meanings that 'end up' lacks.