at the end of the day

American  

[at thee end uhv thuh dey] / ˌæt ði ˈɛnd əv ðə ˈdeɪ /

idiom

1. after everything is considered or accounted for; ultimately.

   At the end of the day, we went for simpler printers that just do their job as soon as you click “print” on your device.

   “Yes, cost and convenience matter, but at the end of the day, it’s about the welfare of our children,” she said.

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Etymology

Origin of at the end of the day

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

"It's time at the end of the day, it saves them time producing extensive and detailed feedback and personalised feedback for their students."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

But at the end of the day, "if you build a hammer... you can hurt yourself. So should we not build hammers any more"?

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

“But at the end of the day, they’ve just now made essentially one of the biggest investments into fusion ever.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

“And at the end of the day you feel you’ve made a contribution.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

I imagine what I am going to say to Ms. Parker at the end of the day.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

Related Words

• finally
• in the course of time
• one day
• someday
• sooner or later
• ultimately