Wind up meaning
Wind up means to finally be in a place or situation you did not plan (informal). It can also mean to bring a meeting, talk or activity to an end.
wind up
wind up · wound · winding
We got lost and wound up in a tiny village.
Wind up meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Finally be in a place or situation you did not plan (informal)
wind up
- We got lost and wound up in a tiny village.
- If you don’t study, you’ll wind up repeating the year.
- How did you wind up working in Japan?
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2
Bring a meeting, talk or activity to an end
wind somebody or something up
- Let’s wind up the meeting. It’s nearly six.
- She wound up her speech with a joke.
- OK, we need to wind things up now.
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3
Annoy or tease someone, often as a joke (UK, informal)
wind somebody up
- Don’t listen to him. He’s just winding you up.
- My brother loves winding up my mum.
- Are you winding me up? We won?
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4
Turn a key or handle to make a toy or clock work
wind something up
- Grandpa winds up his old clock every Sunday.
- Wind the toy car up and let it go.
- My watch stopped because I forgot to wind it up.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use wind up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is wind up separable?
When wind up means end up in a place, it has no object: We wound up at the beach. In other meanings it is separable: wind up the meeting, wind it up, wind me up.
Wind rhymes with find, and the past is wound up. A wind-up (UK) is a joke or trick to tease someone, and wound up means very nervous or annoyed.
Verb tenses for wind up
| Present | I wind up · she winds up |
|---|---|
| Past | wound up |
| Present perfect | have wound up |
| -ing form | winding up |
Common mistakes with wind up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: We winded up in the wrong hotel.
Right: We wound up in the wrong hotel.
The past of wind (rhymes with find) is wound.
Wrong: He’s always winding up me.
Right: He’s always winding me up.
A pronoun goes between wind and up.
Wrong: I wound up to pay for everyone.
Right: I wound up paying for everyone.
After wind up, use the -ing form, like end up.
Synonyms and opposites of wind up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- end upmeans the same as the first meaning; more common
- wrap upfinish a meeting or project
- teaselaugh at someone in a playful way
Wind up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1We took the wrong bus and ___ at the airport.
Wind up means finally be in a place you did not plan.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use wound up + -ing.
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3In the UK your friend says, “Relax, I’m only winding you up.” What does he mean?
Wind someone up can mean tease them as a joke.
More phrasal verbs with wind
2 phrasal verbs start with wind. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Wind up FAQ
Questions people ask about wind up.
Wind up vs end up: what is the difference?
They mean the same when you mean finally be somewhere. End up is more common. Both take -ing: I ended up / wound up walking.
What does are you winding me up mean?
In UK English it means are you joking? or are you trying to annoy me? It is informal and common between friends.
What is a wind-up toy?
It is a toy you turn with a small key, and then it moves by itself, like a wind-up car or a wind-up mouse.
Use wind up 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.