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

The payments will be used in part to clean up the river, including addressing contamination from its former power plants.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 5, 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

One day, while Captain Smith is away on an exploration trip up the river, President Ratcliffe makes a decision that costs him his presidency.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Related Words

• cell
• lockup
• penitentiary
• prison