Windup (noun)

  1. The act of winding up or tightening a spring.
  2. The final stages of preparation before starting an activity.
  3. The conclusion or end of an event, situation or process.
  4. A trick or deception used to trick someone.

Origin:

From the verb "wind up" meaning to tighten or coil a spring by turning a key or handle, and also meaning to bring to a conclusion.

Examples:

  1. He gave the music box a windup before it started to play.
  2. The windup to the big game was filled with excitement.
  3. The windup of the project took longer than expected.
  4. It was all a windup and no one actually won the prize.
  5. He was trying to pull a windup on me and I didn't fall for it.
Some random words: prescriptive, bolus, cryptographer