end up

British  

verb

1. (copula) to become eventually; turn out to be

   he ended up a thief

2. (intr) to arrive, esp by a circuitous or lengthy route or process

   he ended up living in New Zealand

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end up Idioms  

1. Arrive at, result in, finish. For example, He thought he'd end up living in the city, or We don't know how Nancy will end up. [First half of 1900s] Also see wind up.

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Example Sentences

Get the ingredients wrong, or pile on too much, and you end up with a mess.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

An ally of Jones was heavily playing down the likelihood that he would ultimately end up trying to stand.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

The authorities urged people not to swim unsupervised, as forecasters warned the extreme weather episode could end up being as serious as a 2003 heatwave that claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 people nationwide.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

That last option may end up making you feel even worse.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026

What if Autumn and I end up dying?

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• become
• come to be
• eventually be
• finish as
• play out
• turn out to be