Question

end up

Accepted Answer

end up
1. end up to be in a situation that you did not intend or want to be in, because of something that has happened to you or something you have done
end up in court/prison/hospital
▪ Tom got into a fight and ended up in court.
▪ Soon afterwards she ended up in hospital after a drug overdose.
+ as
▪ Too many teenage girls are ending up as single parents.
+ with
▪ You'll end up with pneumonia if you're not careful.
■ SIMILAR TO: ↑wind up, ↑finish up BrE informal, ↑land up BrE
2. end up doing sth to do something that you did not intend or want to do, especially because you cannot seem to avoid doing it:
▪ He came for a couple of days and ended up staying a month!
▪ We always seem to end up arguing with each other.
3. end up to arrive in a place without planning or wanting to go there, for example because you lost your way:
▪ We took several wrong turns, and ended up in Wigan by mistake.
▪ They ended up in a bar near the docks.
■ SIMILAR TO: ↑wind up, ↑finish up BrE informal

End Ended Bre Intend Similar ↑Wind ↑Finish Situation