winding up

Verb

wind up (third-person singular simple present winds up, present participle winding up, simple past and past participle wound up)

1. (literally, transitive) To wind (rope, string, mainsprings, etc.) completely.
   • I wound up the spool of rope.

   Antonyms:

   unwind, unspool, play out, wind down

2. (transitive) To put (a clock, watch, etc.) in a state of renewed or continued motion by winding the spring or other energy-storage mechanism.
   • I wound up the clock.
3. (broadly, figuratively, transitive) To tighten (someone or something) by winding or twisting.
   • The movie wound me up emotionally.

   Synonyms:

   bind, cinch, brace, clench, constrict, squeeze, tighten, taughten, tauten, tense

4. (broadly, figuratively, transitive) To excite.
   • Try not to wind up the kids too much right before bedtime.

   Synonyms:

   gin up, stimulate, work up, animate, awaken, electrify, enflame, enkindle, enthrill, exagitate

5. (broadly, figuratively, transitive) To upset; to anger or distress.
   • Of all their regrets, it was their inability to score an away goal that might wind up Klopp the most. Sadio Mané wasted a glorious chance in the first half and, late on, Mohamed Salah turned his shot against a post after a goal-line clearance had spun his way.2019 May 1, Daniel Taylor, “Lionel Messi magic puts Barcelona in command of semi-final with Liverpool”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms:

   burn up, get up, get someone's back up, rile up, aggravate, annoy, nettle, rankle, ruffle, sting

6. (literally, transitive) To roll up (a car window or well bucket, etc., by cranking).
   • Wind up your window — it's starting to rain.

   Synonyms:

   roll up, raise

   Antonyms:

   wind down, roll down, lower

See all 12 meanings of wind up