in/into and in the end/at the end

[jkl]

We were really worried at first but in the end, everything worked out well.


In the above sentence why is it correct to write in the end not at the end? Please help to understand the differences between in the end and at the end ,in and into.

[abaka]

We were really worried at first but in the end, everything worked out well.


In the above sentence why is it correct to write in the end not at the end? Please help to understand the differences between in the end and at the end ,in and into.

I think both "in the end" and "at the end" are correct here, but I would prefer "in the end". I sense that "in the end" may be somewhat more metaphoric.

"in the end, finally; after all: In the end they shook hands and made up."

I can't find any idiomatic meaning for "at the end", but this phrase makes perfect sense if taken literally: the end of something.

There are some similar but not exact phrases: "at wit's end" -- near insanity or desperation; "at land's end" -- on a shore with no land visible across the water; etc.

"Into the end" is not used, but there's an archaic phrase "unto the end", modern "to the end", which means "until the end", and is used in a metaphoric sense: until the very end, until everything happens that fate decrees shall happen.

These prepositional phrases cannot really be explained. That's why they are called idioms.

[Nain]

We were really worried at first but in the end, everything worked out well.


In the above sentence why is it correct to write in the end not at the end? Please help to understand the differences between in the end and at the end ,in and into.

NOT A TEACHER

For the sake of example let us take a story going from 1 to 10.

"in the end" signifies the last time period (between 8 and 10).

"at the end" signifies at the last moment (at 10).


"in" indicates: inside.
"into" indicates: "in the process of going in"

I hope this makes some sense to you.

[abaka]

Yes. I missed that, thank you. In addition to everything I said earlier, the two phrases can have the meanings Nain mentioned. Here there is no metaphor.

In the end = in the final period.
At the end = at the last moment of a period.