end up

E

Meaning

• reach a particular place or condition
• be at the final destination or state
• arrive somewhere eventually, perhaps unexpectedly or by accident
• somebody (or something) finding themselves in a particular state that was unforeseen and not originally intended to happen

Example Sentences

1. They ate so much that they ended up feeling ill for the rest of the day.
2. Sam is going on a gap year and plans to start in Europe and end up in South East Asia.
3. The plates all crashed off the table and ended up in pieces on the floor.
4. We missed the last train home and ended up getting a taxi.
5. He was so promising at college and university. It’s quite a surprise to hear that he ended up working as a barista in a coffee shop.
6. David didn’t want to end up working in the family business.
7. She is such a reckless driver. She’s going to end up crashing the car one of these days.

Origin

This is a popular phrasal verb. You can also use ‘wind up’ in the same way.

‘End’ signifies the finish of a situation and by adding ‘up’ it intensifies and stresses the point.

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