wind-up
noun, verbInformal
A British English slang term. Browse all British slang.
What it means
A deliberate attempt to provoke or fool someone; a prank. Is this a wind-up?
As a verb, wind someone up: to irritate them on purpose, or to string them along.
In use
Tell me you're joking — is this a wind-up?
He knows exactly how to wind his sister up.
Where it comes from
From winding a clockwork mechanism tighter and tighter until something gives.