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

INÍRIDA, Colombia—A few miles up the river from this border outpost, vast mineral riches are buried in the Venezuelan jungle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 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

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

Sunardi's village has been digging up the river bed since June, when the water in their wells ran out.

From Reuters • Aug. 9, 2023

There was no saying they had to go up the river to stay alive.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Related Words

• cell
• lockup
• penitentiary
• prison