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

See Examples For:

end up

If Blanche does end up playing Cassidy for a fool, at least we know the senator won’t spend too much time looking back.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

This run of episodes features the Seattle Seahawks—my home team—which I find less compelling than the prospect of seeing where the Lady Greyhounds end up.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

Make sure you don’t end up holding up everybody else’s world.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

The fight, which could end up in court, risks turning into an argument over nonexistent water.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

My mind can dream about literally anything—and I end up dreaming about a worm.

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