ENGLISH
REFERENCE

end in sth

phr. v..
A1 Beginner Oxford

phr. v.. To finish in a certain way or have a particular result.

phr. v.. To conclude with a specific outcome or in a particular state; the object of the preposition 'in' specifies the result.


SIMPLE

The game often ends in a draw.

CONTEXTUAL

Their long argument finally ended in tears.

COMPLEX

Despite early optimism, the ambitious project ended in failure, leaving the company with significant financial losses.

Particles
in
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
end + in + object
Usage

The object is usually an abstract noun describing the result, such as 'failure', 'success', or 'disaster'.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'result in' (a near-synonym but more formal) and 'lead to' (which focuses more on the causal chain than the final state).

Pitfall

The argument ended tears.The argument ended in tears.The preposition 'in' is required to connect the verb 'end' to the resulting state or outcome.

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