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Formation: N + に至る; V-dictionary + に至る; past: に至った; noun-modifying: 〜に至る + N / 〜に至った + N; negative: に至らない

〜に至る means that a situation reaches a certain point or result, usually after a long or complicated process. It is formal and written, common in news reports, official statements and explanations of background (〜するに至った経緯). The negative 〜には至らない／に至らなかった often means something stopped short of a serious outcome (大事に至らなかった). Compare 〜に及ぶ, which stresses how far a scope or quantity extends rather than the end point of a process. 〜末に and 〜挙げ句 focus on the long process itself before the result, while に至る focuses on arriving at the result.

Variants: に至った、に至らない、に至る + N、事ここに至る

Examples

• 両国は長い交渉の末、ようやく合意に至った。
  After lengthy negotiations, the two countries finally reached an agreement.
• 彼がなぜ退職するに至ったのか、誰も知らない。
  Nobody knows what led him to resign.
• 幸い、事故は大事には至らなかった。
  Fortunately, the accident didn't turn into anything serious.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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