Because of harsh natural conditions and human activities, desert steppes have experienced severe wind-driven soil erosion in recent decades. Grazing exclusion can restore grassland ecosystems and improve soil properties and vegetation. However, how the enclosure affects the wind-driven soil erosion in desert steppes is not well understood. We investigated the soil properties, vegetation characteristics, and wind-driven soil erosion modulus in 92 flat grassland plots over 63,000 km2 in Inner Mongolia's desert steppe, examining the effects of enclosure duration (0, 1-3, 4-9, and >= 10 y) on wind-driven soil erosion using a structure equation model. The average wind-driven soil erosion modulus (SWEM) for grazed grasslands and those fenced for 1-3, 4-9, and >= 10 y were 1933.59, 1725.40, 1393.58, and 358.56 t km-2 a-1, respectively. Grazing exclusion enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC) through increased aboveground and litter biomass, which further reduced wind-driven soil erosion, with path coefficient values between: grazing exclusion time (GET) and upright-above biomass (UAB) = 0.76; GET and litter biomass (LB) = 0.0.31; and SOC and SWEM = --0.28. Grazing exclusion also reduced soil wind erosion by increasing vegetation cover (VC) and soil water (SW), with path coefficient values between: GET and VC = 0.42; VC and SW = 0.29; VC and SWEM = -0.24; and SW and SWEM = -0.13. These findings provide important insights into the mechanisms underlying the effects of grazing restriction on wind-driven soil erosion and ecological restoration in desert grasslands exposed to severe wind-driven soil erosion.