wind-up

19 synonyms and 2 antonyms for wind-up, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — An act of teasing someone by telling them something untrue to see how they react, or the false story itself.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

land joke conclusion end

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

prank tease hoax conclude dissolve closure provoke needle

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

end up finish up leg-pull close down liquidate liquidation rile

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun British informal

An act of teasing someone by telling them something untrue to see how they react, or the false story itself.

“We missed the last train and wound up sleeping at the airport.”

end up finish up land prank joke leg-pull tease hoax

2. noun

The final stage or conclusion of something, especially a meeting, a business or a season.

“Let's wind up the meeting, we're over time.”

conclude close down liquidate dissolve conclusion closure end liquidation

Opposites

start up launch

3. noun

In baseball, the swinging arm movement a pitcher makes before releasing the ball.

“He only said it to wind you up.”

tease provoke needle rile

4. noun British informal

A joke or trick played on somebody to make them believe something untrue; usually written wind-up.

“Tell me the parking fine is a wind-up.”

prank hoax leg-pull

How to use wind-up

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

it's a wind-up have someone on as a wind-up a wind-up merchant the wind-up of the company

The teasing sense is British and Irish informal; the "conclusion" sense is neutral and used in business and law.

Etymology

From the phrasal verb wind up, in the sense of tightening a spring and hence provoking or agitating a person.

Full origin of wind-up →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between wind up and wind down?

Wind down means to relax or to reduce activity gradually. Wind up means to finish something off, or in British slang to provoke someone. Confusingly, a business can be wound down over months and then wound up when it formally closes.

What does "you're winding me up" mean?

It means "you are teasing me" or "you cannot be serious" — the speaker suspects they are being told something untrue for a laugh. It is very common in British and Irish English and is not usually said in anger.

What does taking the wind-up mean in British slang?

A wind-up is a prank or a deliberate provocation. Saying "is this a wind-up?" means "are you making this up to get a reaction from me?", and a wind-up merchant is someone who does it habitually.

What is the difference between a wind-up and a prank?

A prank can involve objects and staging; a wind-up is almost always verbal, built on convincing someone of something false. A wind-up also stops as soon as the target realises, whereas a prank often has a physical payoff.

What is the past tense of wind up?

Wound up, pronounced to rhyme with found. "We wound up in Brighton" and "the company was wound up" both use it.

What is a wind-up merchant?

British slang for someone who habitually provokes or teases others, either for amusement or to get a rise out of them. It is mildly disapproving.

People also searched

end land joke launch conclusion closure conclude needle prank provoke tease dissolve

Nearby words

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