end up
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
On June 18, Buss was responding to a call which ended up in a standoff.
—
Frankie McLister,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
All the water unleashed onto the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights — some of it 480 gallons at a time by helicopter — had to end up somewhere.
—
Mack Baysinger
follow,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Zito said that ended up not being needed.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2026
Off a throw-in in the Ecuador half, Germany made a few crisp passes into the middle of the field, until the ball ended up at Leroy Sané’s feet just inside the box.
—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for end up
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.
Frankie McLister,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
All the water unleashed onto the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights — some of it 480 gallons at a time by helicopter — had to end up somewhere.
—
Mack Baysinger
follow,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Zito said that ended up not being needed.
—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2026
Off a throw-in in the Ecuador half, Germany made a few crisp passes into the middle of the field, until the ball ended up at Leroy Sané’s feet just inside the box.
—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for end up
Cite this Entry
“End up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/end%20up. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
