ended up
phrasal verb.to reach a place or situation that you did not plan or expect.
phrasal verb.to arrive at a final state, condition, or location, often as the result of a series of unplanned events. The verb is intransitive but frequently takes a prepositional phrase, an adjective, or a gerund as a complement.
“We got lost and ended up in a small village.”
“They started the night at a fancy gala but ended up eating pizza at a 24-hour diner.”
“Despite his initial ambitions in the field of medicine, he ended up pursuing a successful career in international law after a chance internship.”
often followed by an '-ing' verb or a preposition like 'in' or 'with'.
contrast with 'finish' or 'result in'; 'ended up' emphasizes the unexpected nature of the final destination or situation.
when followed by another verb, 'ended up' requires the gerund (-ing) form, not the infinitive.