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to spin down

to spin down

6.7
To relax and become less active after a busy time
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : relajarse
  • It's important to give yourself time to spin down before going to sleep.

Examples

  • She likes to spin down with a cup of tea in the evening.

  • After a stressful meeting, I usually spin down by listening to music.

  • I like to spin down!

  • Don't forget to spin down!

  • After a long day at work, I like to spin down by watching my favorite show.

  • To help him unwind, he prefers to spin down with some quiet reading at night.

  • It's beneficial to spin down and breathe deeply after a hectic week.

Synonyms

to settle down
vsto spin down
56 2.5

To become quiet and calm after being excited

involves a gradual fall in activity that leads to relaxation
to wind down
vsto spin down
  • Informal
39 3.7

To relax after a busy or stressful time and slowly come to an end

is about slowly reducing activity and then beginning to relax
to take a breather
vsto spin down
  • Informal
14 3.5

To stop and rest for a short time

describes a longer, gradual winding down rather than a brief pause
to take a load off
vsto spin down
  • Informal
13 5.5

To sit down and rest after standing or working

focuses on slowly reducing overall activity instead of a single rest
to let one's hair down
vsto spin down
  • Informal
8 5.6

Relax and enjoy yourself after being serious or busy

means calming down gradually rather than letting off lively steam
to turn down
vsto spin down
6 3.6

Begin to fall after rising or staying steady

applies to lowering energy and starting to relax rather than general decline

Antonyms

65 3.7

To make someone feel more active and alert

How Relaxed

to rest
816 1.0
to unwind
35 3.4
to wind down
  • Informal
39 3.7
to spin down
  • Informal
6.7
to slow down
687 1.4

Surface Forms

spin down infinitive
spinning down present participle
spins down third person singular
spun down past
spun down past participle

Morphology

spin + down

The meaning 'to cause a device to reduce its rotational speed' is directly derivable from combining 'spin' (to rotate) with the particle 'down' (indicating reduction), following the common English verb+particle pattern. Although the use is technical (computing/electronics), the compositional logic is transparent and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Spin down paints the picture of a wheel or top that slowly loses speed as the spin goes down. So to spin down means to slowly reduce activity and 'relax' after a busy time.