up the river

Idioms  

1. To or in prison, as in They sent him up the river for five years. This phrase originally referred to Sing-Sing Prison, on the Hudson River about 30 miles north of New York City. So used from about 1890 on, it was broadened to apply to any prison by the early 1900s.

---

Example Sentences

INÍRIDA, Colombia—A few miles up the river from this border outpost, vast mineral riches are buried in the Venezuelan jungle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

In July, the U.S. and Mexican governments signed an agreement pledging to clean up the river.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025

This year's swan upping trip up the river had the involvement of schools along the route, in an attempt to spread the message about protecting wildlife.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024

Sunardi's village has been digging up the river bed since June, when the water in their wells ran out.

From Reuters • Aug. 9, 2023

We have no fear in running at good speed up the river at night; there is plenty of water, and the banks are wide enough apart to make steaming, even in the dark, easy enough.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Related Words

• cell
• lockup
• penitentiary
• prison