end of the line

Idioms  

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]

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Example Sentences

Several of the candidates mired near the bottom of polls — Antonio Villaraigosa, Xavier Becerra, Betty Yee — are probably looking at the end of the line if they lose this race.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

“You’d like to terminate a pregnancy?” the person on the other end of the line confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

The MetroCard, a scuffed yellow rectangle that lived in wallets, coat pockets and the bottoms of tote bags for more than three decades, is officially reaching the end of the line.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

All the agents speak fluent English, and the clients at the other end of the line are none the wiser that they're talking people in Mexico rather than the US.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

“If you go to the end of the line, we’ll be seeing you sometime tomorrow.”

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon