all's well that ends well

Idioms & Phrases

all's well that ends well

Everything has turned out satisfactorily, even though the outcome has been uncertain. For example, His lawyer persuaded Jack to plead guilty, but the court merely put him on probationall's well that ends well. This proverb, dating from about 1250, gained even more currency as the title of a Shakespeare comedy.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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