Wind sb up Meaning & Examples: How to Use This Phrasal Verb

What Does “Wind sb up” Mean?

“Wind sb up” means to annoy or tease someone, often to make them angry or frustrated.

Introduction

The phrase “Wind sb up” is a common English phrasal verb used in informal conversations. It usually means to deliberately irritate or provoke someone, often for fun or to get a reaction. Understanding the Wind sb up meaning helps learners recognize when someone is joking or trying to upset another person. This phrase is widely used in British English but can be understood in other English-speaking countries too. Knowing how to use “Wind sb up” correctly will improve your communication and help you sound more natural in casual conversations.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: Wind somebody up
• Type: Transitive
• Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
• Short meaning: To annoy or tease someone

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Wind sb up” is a separable phrasal verb. This means you can place the object (sb) between “wind” and “up,” or after the entire phrase.

• wind someone up
• wind up someone

Both forms are correct, but “wind someone up” is more common.

How to Use Wind sb up?

Use “Wind sb up” when you want to say someone is teasing or annoying another person, often intentionally. It can be playful or slightly mean, depending on the context.

Example contexts include friends joking, siblings annoying each other, or someone getting frustrated because of another’s behavior.

Examples

My brother always winds me up by borrowing my clothes without asking.

Here are more examples of Wind sb up in a sentence:

• Stop winding me up! I’m serious about this.
• She likes to wind her coworkers up during meetings.
• Don’t wind him up before the exam; he needs to stay calm.
• They were just winding you up; don’t take it personally.

Common Mistakes

Sometimes learners confuse “wind sb up” with other phrases or use it incorrectly in formal situations.

• Incorrect: I wind up my friend with a letter. (wrong object placement)
• Correct: I wind my friend up with a letter.
• Incorrect: Please don’t wind me up in the meeting. (too formal)
• Correct: Please don’t wind me up before the meeting.

Differences / Synonyms

Similar phrases include “tease,” “annoy,” and “get on someone’s nerves.”

• Tease: More playful and friendly.
• Annoy: Can be more serious and less playful.
• Get on someone’s nerves: Means to irritate over time.

“Wind sb up” usually implies teasing to provoke a reaction, often temporarily, while the others can be more general.

Common Collocations

People often use “Wind sb up” with these objects:

• Wind someone up about something (e.g., a joke or a topic)
• Wind someone up with teasing or comments
• Wind someone up over small issues

These collocations show how the phrase can be connected to what causes the annoyance or teasing.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of wind sb up:

• Wind Up Doing Sth

Real-life Dialogue

Here’s a short conversation using “Wind sb up”:

Anna: Why is Tom so angry?

Ben: I think Sarah was winding him up about his new haircut.

Anna: That sounds like Sarah! She loves teasing people.

Practice

Try to complete the sentences with the correct form of “wind sb up”:

• Don’t ______ me ______ about your new phone.
• She always ______ her brother ______ before school.
• Stop ______ me ______! I’m trying to concentrate.

FAQ

• What does “Wind sb up” mean? It means to annoy or tease someone, often to get a reaction.
• Is “Wind sb up” formal? No, it is informal and mostly used in casual conversations.
• Can I say “Wind me up”? Yes, it is correct when someone annoys or teases you.
• Is “Wind sb up” used in American English? It is more common in British English but understood in other varieties.
• What is the difference between “Wind sb up” and “Annoy sb”? “Wind sb up” usually means teasing or provoking, while “annoy” is more general irritation.