end up

phrasal verb

ended up; ending up; ends up

: to reach or come to a place, condition, or situation that was not planned or expected

The book ended up in the trash.

He didn't want to end up like his father.

She ended up a rich woman.

He ended up (living) in a nursing home.

The movie we wanted to see was sold out so we ended up seeing a different one.

Examples of end up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Boston has been one of the teams linked to basically every high-profile free agent, with many believing that the Red Sox could end up signing a star player like Pete Alonso. —Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025

Foundation Water Damage Though your home’s foundation is a long way down from your roof, water that doesn’t flow properly through gutters can end up there. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025

The Colorado State Patrol says a truck hauling baking soda lost its brakes heading eastbound, passing a runaway truck ramp and exiting at Morrison, crossing Highway 93, ending up in a Colorado Department of Transportation lot on the east side of the highway. —Alan Gionet, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Bigby ended up scoring 18 points, going 4-for-7 from the 3-point arc, with five rebounds and an assist. —Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for end up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup