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Meaning & use

end up

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌend ˈʌp/
US/ˌend ˈʌp/

Meaning

  1. verbintransitive

    To finally be in a particular situation or place, especially when you did not plan it.

    Grammar: No object; often followed by an adjective, a prepositional phrase, or an -ing verb: end up tired, end up in Paris, end up crying.

    Patterns

    • end up + adjective
    • end up + prepositional phrase
    • end up + -ing verb

    We got lost and ended up in a small village.

    If you keep spending like that, you'll end up broke.

    She studied law but ended up working as a journalist.

Word forms

third person singularends up
past tenseended up
past participleended up
-ing formending up

Common combinations

end up doing something
He ended up buying the more expensive car.
end up in
They ended up in a hotel near the airport.
end up with
I ended up with a headache after the party.
end up like
She doesn't want to end up like her mother.
end up as
He ended up as the manager of the team.

Synonyms and how they differ

wind up
Informal and often means the same, but can also mean 'to annoy someone' or 'to tighten a clock'.
finish up
Suggests completing an activity, not necessarily an unexpected result.
turn out
Focuses on the final result of a situation, often after a process, and can be used with 'that' clauses.

Commonly confused: end up or end?

end up vs end

As a verb, 'end' means to stop or finish something (transitive or intransitive), while 'end up' means to arrive at a final state or place.

Practice

After the party, we _____ at a diner.

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