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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
George ended up missing the first 12 games of the season for the 76ers. Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025 The study, led by Jingxuan Zhang, PhD, and Mohammad Saberian, PhD, both civil engineering researchers at RMIT, took advantage of coffee grounds, an abundant waste stream that would otherwise end up in landfills. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025 The Sugared Cranberries ended up being both my father-in-law's and my grandmother's favorite part of the cake, with my father-in-law eating them by the handful and my grandmother making them herself to zhuzh up cheesecakes for gatherings with her friends. Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2025 Brown, 18, and a group of friends ended up at an apartment complex close to where the original party was located. Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for end up

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Cite this Entry

“End up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/end%20up. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

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