up the river

Idioms  

1. To or in prison, as in They sent him up the river for five years. This phrase originally referred to Sing-Sing Prison, on the Hudson River about 30 miles north of New York City. So used from about 1890 on, it was broadened to apply to any prison by the early 1900s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

up the river

The charity says more and more of the seals are travelling further up the river, with one spotted as far west as Windsor.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Greenwater ran some tests that worked in 250-gallon containers, but didn’t meaningfully clean up the river, Howard said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

“The only way around it is for the states to agree how to divvy up the river in an equitable way.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026

Rengganis hopes the momentum to clean up the river and address the region’s trash problem continues, so that future generations can also enjoy the area.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2023

Tiller took a deep breath, looked down the river and up the river, and let out his breath slowly, evenly.

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

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Related Words

• cell
• lockup
• penitentiary
• prison

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