terminate vs wind up

terminate

verb
  • To conclude. 

  • Of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus. 

  • To end, conclude, or cease; to come to an end. 

  • To end the employment contract of an employee; to fire, lay off. 

  • To set or be a limit or boundary to. 

  • To kill someone or something. 

  • To issue or result. 

  • To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state. 

adj
  • Having a definite and clear limit or boundary; having a determinate size, shape or magnitude. 

  • Terminated; limited; bounded; ended. 

  • Expressible in a finite number of terms; (of a decimal) not recurring or infinite. 

wind up

verb
  • To conclude, complete, or finish (something). 

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

  • To wind (rope, string, mainsprings, etc.) completely. 

  • To put (a clock, watch, etc.) in a state of renewed or continued motion by winding the spring or other energy-storage mechanism. 

  • To end up; to arrive or result. 

  • To upset; to anger or distress. 

  • To tighten (someone or something) by winding or twisting. 

  • To increase (in some aspect). 

  • To roll up (a car window or well bucket, etc., by cranking). 

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

  • To excite. 

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

How often have the words terminate and wind up occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )