‘At the End’ and ‘In the End’

“At the End” vs “In the End”: What’s the Difference? (with Clear Examples)

These two expressions look almost identical. They use the same words. They both talk about “the end”.

And yet…

• In the end, I passed the exam.
• At the end of the exam, I was exhausted.

Both sentences are correct — but they mean very different things.

Mixing up at the end and in the end is one of the most common mistakes among B1–C1 learners, especially in writing tasks in Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced). In this lesson, you will learn the difference clearly and remember it forever.

“In the end” = finally, after everything

In the end talks about the final result of a situation, often after problems, delays, doubts, arguments or uncertainty.

It answers the question: What was the final outcome?

• In the end, everything worked out well for Cybil.
• Sophia was convinced that reason would prevail in the end.
• In the end, it turned out that all the articles she had collected over the years were useful material for the book.
• The committee didn’t like the idea of moving the offices, but in the end, they decided it was a good thing to do.
• In the end, we often regret the opportunities we didn’t take.

Think of “in the end” as meaning: finally, eventually, after everything that happened

“At the end” = at the final point of something

At the end is literal and concrete. It refers to the last part of a time period, event, place, or thing.

It answers the question: At what point? At what moment?

Examples (time & events):

• Adrien hardly had any money left at the end of the month.
• We are travelling abroad at the end of the week.
• At the end of the party, everyone was tired and sleepy.
• At the end of the class, the teacher asked the students to hand in their papers.

Examples (places & things):

• They put a sign at the end of the road.
• At the end of the football match, the spectators left the stadium.
• The main character dies at the end of the book.
• They recycle some products at the end of their lives.

Think of “at the end” as meaning: at the final part of something specific

Compare these two:

In the end, we decided to move. → final decision/result

At the end of the meeting, we decided to leave. → moment in time

Same word “end”. Completely different meaning and grammar job.

The idiom “at the end of the day”

The expression does not mean “in the evening”. It means when everything is considered, when you think about what really matters.

Examples:

• I’ll consider your suggestion, but at the end of the day, I’ll have to make the final decision.
• At the end of the day, it all comes down to those small moments when we were truly happy.

Cambridge exam tip (B2 First & C1 Advanced)

• Use in the end when talking about results, outcomes, and conclusions
• Use at the end when talking about time, events, or physical position

Using the wrong one won’t usually destroy your answer — but using the right one makes your English sound clean, precise, and confident.

Quick memory trick

In the end = the story’s result

At the end = the story’s last page

Do the quiz to perfect your knowledge:

Learn about the difference between ON TIME and IN TIME here