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

“Travelers usually are at the end of the line to see any money,” said Katy Nastro, a spokesperson with Going, a travel-deals company.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Telegraphy was nearly instantaneous, but it required skilled operators at each end of the line to encode and decode the message, effectively slowing transmission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

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

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

“Okay, the first thing I’m going to do is give all of the local animal shelters a call,” John says from the other end of the line.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks