'end up' has 2 distinct meanings: - to turn out to be at the end ( and it is usually something unexpected to one's prior history,whether negative or positive ). He ended up a thief. He ended up marrying his high school sweetheart. - to come to an end: The party should end up around midnight.

Examples: If you don't study, you will end up in a poorly paid job. A lot of garbage ends up at the tip. He used to be a star, but in the end, he ended up as a street sweeper. Do you think you'll end up being famous?

Ended up states that you are being somewhere. Usually based for the end of a story as, I ended up answering your question. I read your question, I typed an answer, and this is what I ended up with; so this is where I am now. I ended up in a good house, I ended up finishing my dinner, ect. It's a finishing statement that usually starts at the beginning of a sentence but at the end of a story.