come to an end

come to an end

To wind down to an ending or conclusion. Festivities came to an end well after the sun had risen the next morning. I'm just dreading when the nice summer weather finally comes to an end. That play's lengthy run on Broadway comes to an end tonight.

See also: an, come, end, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

come to an end

1. Conclude, terminate, as in the familiar proverb, All things come to an end, stated by Geoffrey Chaucer in Troilus and Cressida (c. 1374).

2. come to a bad end; come to no good. Have a bad outcome or die in an unpleasant way. For example, I always suspected this venture would come to no good, or Her parents feared he would come to a bad end.

3. come to or meet an untimely end . Die at a young age, terminate much sooner than desired or expected. For example, The blow was fatal, causing the young boxer to meet an untimely end, or Our partnership came to an untimely end when I became too ill to work. Also see dead end.

See also: an, come, end, to

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.