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

The martial art ended up not making it as an official Olympic sport, but the experience launched Cook into a professional boxing and kickboxing career that took him to competitions around the world, and taught him fear is not a reason to back down. —Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Robotic vacuum cleaners and electric floor cleaners always end up in thrift stores after being unused in a home, and are usually priced low enough to take a chance on at the thrift store. —Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 1 Feb. 2026

In 2025, Swift was nominated for six Grammys, but did not end up taking home any wins. —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026

The Bears ended up winning five of the six lower-weight matches. —Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for end up

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