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

At the end of the day, what I want people to see is that we can build a better state.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026

At the end of the day, they are the ones who build all of this.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

At the end of the day, though, AI doesn’t work without the cloud because agents require vast computing resources.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

At the end of the day, the concept of more competition is absolutely going to benefit consumers, but I don’t see that’s necessarily been created here in meaningful way.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

At the end of the day, the boy went looking for the alchemist, who had taken his falcon out into the desert.

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

Related Words

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