ended up retrieving

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ended up retrieving" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone ultimately finds or obtains something after a series of events or actions. Example: "After searching for hours, I ended up retrieving the lost document from my email archive."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

But there were a few inconveniences that didn't seem to occur on Napster: searches for music often ended up retrieving other types of files, from promotional photos to pornography; sometimes a dozen other users were waiting in line to download the same track; and many songs were delivered incomplete.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Vice President Mike Pence attempted to retrieve Trump but ended up following him out with the unsigned orders.

Vice

At the end, everything ended up perfect".

The New York Times - Sports

End up.

WikiHow

Their 2013 trip to Iran was intended for a month but they ended up staying for half a year before their documents were retrieved.

The Guardian

Trying to retrieve the razor, he stepped on it and ended up in the emergency room.

The New York Times

It ended up under the wheels of the double-decker bus before being retrieved by police on the ground, who returned it to the bus driver.

BBC

I ended up back at her place, and found myself skulking away just before daybreak, retrieving my clothes from a dark dorm room floor and dressing silently.

Vice

Sayer went to retrieve the bag at police headquarters on Tuesday, and ended up being detained on a separate alleged assault, which was captured on video, according to ABC New York.

HuffPost

When questioned by another plow driver, the 10-year-old boy claimed to be a dwarf and said he ended up off the road when he tried to make a U-turn to retrieve his forgotten license.

HuffPost

We retrieved sequences that had > 99% identity to the query and ended up with 10,724 3-kb, 14,723 8-kb and 2,683 20-kb PEs.

BMC Genomics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ended up retrieving" to clearly indicate a sequence of events where the final outcome was the recovery or retrieval of something, often after some difficulty or unexpected circumstances. For example: "After a long search, I "ended up retrieving" the lost file from an old backup."

Common error

Avoid using "ended up retrieving" when the retrieval was the direct and intended action from the beginning, without any intervening events or complications. In such cases, a simpler verb like 'retrieved' is more appropriate. For example, don't say 'I "ended up retrieving" the book from the shelf' if you simply walked over and took it; instead, say 'I retrieved the book from the shelf'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ended up retrieving" functions as a compound verb phrase indicating the completion of a series of events leading to the recovery of something. Ludwig provides examples where this phrase appears in sentences describing unexpected outcomes.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "ended up retrieving" is a verb phrase indicating the final recovery of something after a series of events. According to Ludwig, this phrase functions to narrate a sequence leading to the retrieval, with a neutral register suitable for both formal and informal contexts. While not a very common phrase, it is grammatically correct and can be useful in describing how someone eventually recovered something, often after some difficulty. Consider alternatives such as "ultimately recovered" or "eventually obtained", depending on the desired emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ultimately recovered

Focuses on the final result of recovering something, emphasizing the end point of the process.

eventually obtained

Highlights the eventual attainment of something, shifting the emphasis to the acquisition aspect.

consequently regained

Emphasizes that regaining something was a consequence of previous actions or events.

finished by reclaiming

Highlights the act of reclaiming as the concluding action in a series of events.

resulted in recovering

Focuses on the recovery as the result of a process or situation.

wound up getting back

More informal, emphasizes the unexpected or eventual return of something.

turned out recovering

Similar to "wound up", but focuses on the surprising nature of the recovery.

came around to retrieving

Emphasizes a change in attitude or circumstance leading to the retrieval.

managed to salvage

Focuses on the effort and success in saving something from a negative situation.

succeeded in extracting

Emphasizes the successful removal or retrieval of something, often with difficulty.

FAQs

What does "ended up retrieving" mean?

The phrase "ended up retrieving" means that after a series of events or actions, the final result was the recovery or retrieval of something. It suggests that the retrieval wasn't necessarily the initial plan, but it was the eventual outcome.

How can I use "ended up retrieving" in a sentence?

You can use "ended up retrieving" to describe a situation where you finally got something back after some effort or an unexpected turn of events. For example, "After searching everywhere, I "ended up retrieving" my keys from under the sofa."

What are some alternatives to "ended up retrieving"?

Some alternatives include "ultimately recovered", "eventually obtained", or "managed to salvage" depending on the context.

Is "ended up retrieving" formal or informal?

"Ended up retrieving" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though more formal situations might benefit from alternatives like "ultimately recovered".