end of the line

1. Also, end of the road. The conclusion or final outcome. For example, The editorial pointed out that it was the end of the line for the President; he'd never be reelected, or It was obviously the end of the road for this television series. This idiom alludes to the point where a road or line stops. [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

If you know that you can pay off your purchase within the introductory no-interest period, “that can be a phenomenal tool,” Blancaflor said, “But whatever the card’s specific intro period is, if you don’t pay it off between that time, you’re stuck with the interest at the end of the line.”

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It lacked the energetic skipping and twirling one would find in, say, a schottische, but the birds managed to switch partners and hold their positions as each couple waddled its way to the end of the line.

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There was rustling on the other end of the line.

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“Guess what,” said Gibby, her voice happy on the other end of the line.

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Appeared in the November 13, 2025, print edition as 'It’s the End of the Line For Pennies in the U.S.'.

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