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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

up the river

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

This year's swan upping trip up the river had the involvement of schools along the route, in an attempt to spread the message about protecting wildlife.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2024

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

A judge has granted a preliminary injunction preventing water diversions that would dry up the river, requiring sufficient water to provide for fish and keep the Kern flowing in the city.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

Merrily up the river and down they go, without a thought to capsizing.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• cell
• lockup
• penitentiary
• prison