End up

Meaning

To be in a particular place or situation after a series of events, unexpected or surprising.
When something concludes or finishes, especially when the outcome wasn’t planned.

Where did you go on your trip?

Well, we were backpacking around Europe.

How fun!

After weeks of traveling, we ended up in Amsterdam.

How is your sister?

She’s doing well.

I remember she was studying literature.

Actually, she ended up as a music teacher.
She’s teaching at a private school in the city.

‘End up‘ is an intransitive and separable phrasal verb.

Intransitive: End up does not take a direct object. It is used to describe an outcome or final situation without needing to act on an object.
Example
Correct: We ended up at the wrong restaurant.
Incorrect: We ended up the wrong restaurant. (This would be incorrect because there’s no direct object.)
Separable: The verb end and the particle up can be separated in some contexts. However, in most cases, the particle up cannot be separated from end.
Example (separable): We ended our trip up in the mountains.
Example (inseparable): We ended up going to the beach.

Related words: Become, come to be, develop into, eventually be, eventually be, evolve, finish as, grow into, play out, turn out to be.