Meaning

• To wind completely.

  "I wound up the spool of rope."

• To end up; to arrive or result.

  "I followed the signs, and I wound up getting nowhere."

• To conclude, complete, or finish.

  "Even though he had bad news, he tried to wind up his speech on a positive note."

• To tighten by winding or twisting.

  "Your pocket watch will run for a long time if you wind up the spring all the way."

• To put (a clock, a watch, etc.) in a state of renewed or continued motion, by winding the spring, or that which carries the weight.

• To excite.

  "Try not to wind up the kids too much right before bedtime."

• To play a prank (on), to take the mickey (out of) or mock.

  "Twenty quid? Are you winding me up?"

• To upset; to anger or distress.

• To dissolve a partnership or corporation and liquidate its assets.

• To make the preparatory movements for a certain kind of pitch.

Meaning

• The end or conclusion of something.

  "Everyone is invited to our end-of-term wind-up party."

• A punch line of a joke or comedy routine.

• A humorous attempt to fool somebody, a practical joke in which the victim is encouraged to believe something untrue.

• The phase of making a pitch where the pitcher moves his or her arm backwards before throwing the ball.

• A circular hand gesture, supposed to represent the winding on of film, used to signal to a performer to finish quickly.