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Wind down meaning

Wind down means to slowly relax after a busy or stressful time. It can also mean to slowly bring an activity or business to an end.

Check yourself: 3 questions

wind down

wind down · wound · winding

B2No object+1 more meaning

I read for half an hour to wind down before bed.

Wind down meanings and examples

2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1slowly relax after a busy or stressful time
  2. 2slowly bring an activity or business to an end
  1. 1

    Slowly relax after a busy or stressful time

    wind down

    B2No object

    • I read for half an hour to wind down before bed.
    • How do you wind down after a long shift?
    • It took me two days to wind down on holiday.
  2. 2

    Slowly bring an activity or business to an end

    wind something down

    C1Separable

    • The party started to wind down around midnight.
    • The company is winding down its shops in Europe.
    • It was losing money, so they wound it down slowly.
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Is wind down separable?

When wind down means relax, it has no object: I need to wind down. When it means end something slowly, it is separable: wind down the business, wind it down.

Here wind rhymes with find, not with the wind that blows. The past is wound down, which rhymes with found.

Verb tenses for wind down

PresentI wind down · she winds down
Pastwound down
Present perfecthave wound down
-ing formwinding down

Common mistakes with wind down

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: After work I winded down with a bath.

    Right: After work I wound down with a bath.

    The past of wind (rhymes with find) is wound.

  • Wrong: I need to wind down myself.

    Right: I need to wind down.

    In the relax meaning, wind down needs no object.

  • Wrong: Let’s wind down the music, it’s too loud.

    Right: Let’s turn down the music, it’s too loud.

    For volume, use turn down. Wind down is about relaxing or ending.

Synonyms and opposites of wind down

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

  • gear upget ready for a busy time
  • ramp upmake an activity bigger or faster

Wind down quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1After a busy week, I like to ___ with a long walk.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3“The festival is winding down.” What is happening?

More phrasal verbs with wind

2 phrasal verbs start with wind. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on windTake the full test

Wind down FAQ

Questions people ask about wind down.

How do you pronounce wind down?

Wind rhymes with find: /waɪnd/. The past wound rhymes with found: /waʊnd/.

Wind down vs unwind: what is the difference?

They both mean relax after a busy time. Unwind is one word and has no particle. Wind down can also mean end something slowly.

Wind down vs calm down: what is the difference?

Calm down is about stopping strong feelings like anger. Wind down is about resting after work or stress.

Use wind down in real conversations

In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.

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