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Phrase(s): wind up (by) doing something
Go to end up (by) doing something., Phrase(s): wind something up
1. Lit. to tighten the spring in something, such as a watch or a clock. • Please wind your watch up now—before it runs down. • Wind up your watch before you forget. 2. Fig. to conclude something. • Today we’ll wind that deal up with the bank. • I have a few items of business to wind up. Then I’ll be with you., Phrase(s): wind up (somewhere)
Go to end up (somewhere)., Phrase(s): wind someone up
1. Inf. Fig. to get someone excited. • That kind of music really winds me up! 2. Inf. Fig. to get someone set to do a lot of talking. (Fig. on winding up a clock.) • The excitement of the day wound Kelly up and she talked almost all night. • A good movie tends to wind me up for a while., Phrase(s): wind up somehow
to end up in some fashion. • I don’t want to wind up broke and depressed. • You don’t want to wind up like Ted, do you?, Phrase(s): wind up (as) something
to end up as something. • Roger wound up as a millionaire. • He thought he would wind up a pauper.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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1. Come or bring to a finish, as in The party was winding up, so we decided to leave, or Let's wind up the meeting and get back to work. [Early 1800s] Also see WIND DOWN. 2. Put in order, settle, as in She had to wind up her affairs before she could move. [Late 1700s] 3. Arrive somewhere following a course of action, end up, as in We got lost and wound up in another town altogether, or If you're careless with your bank account, you can wind up overdrawn. [Colloquial; early 1900s]
American Heritage Idioms