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dplyr ends_with() in R: Select Columns by Suffix

The ends_with() helper in dplyr selects columns whose names END WITH a given string. It is the suffix-based mirror of starts_with().

By Selva Prabhakaran  ·  Published May 11, 2026  ·  Last updated May 11, 2026
⚡ Quick Answer
df |> select(ends_with("_2024"))           # all columns ending with "_2024"
df |> select(ends_with("_pct"))            # percentage columns
df |> select(ends_with("X", ignore.case = FALSE))
df |> mutate(across(ends_with("_total"), as.integer))
df |> select(-ends_with("_temp"))           # drop suffix-matched

Need explanation? Read on for examples and pitfalls.

📊 Is ends_with() the right tool?
STARTcolumns whose names end with Xends_with("X")start with Xstarts_with("X")contain X anywherecontains("X")regexmatches("regex")ignore casedefault is TRUE; set FALSE for strictcombineends_with("_pct") & where(is.numeric)

What ends_with() does in one sentence

ends_with(match) selects columns whose names END with the literal string match. Used inside dplyr verbs that support tidyselect.

Syntax

ends_with(match, ignore.case = TRUE, vars = NULL). Case-insensitive by default.

Run live
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RAll columns ending in 'Length'
library(dplyr) iris |> select(ends_with("Length")) |> head(3) #> Sepal.Length Petal.Length #> 1 5.1 1.4 #> 2 4.9 1.4 #> 3 4.7 1.3

  

  





Tip
Use ends_with for naming conventions like _2024, _pct, _total, _id. Common in tidy data with descriptive suffixes.



Five common patterns



1. Select by suffix




  

    
RAll _2024 columns

    
df |>
  select(ends_with("_2024"))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





2. Apply transformation by suffix




  

    
RScale all _pct columns

    
df |>
  mutate(across(ends_with("_pct"), ~ .x / 100))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





3. Drop by suffix




  

    
RRemove all _temp columns

    
df |>
  select(-ends_with("_temp"))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





4. Strict matching




  

    
RCase-sensitive

    
df <- tibble(score_X = 1, score_x = 2)
df |> select(ends_with("X", ignore.case = FALSE))
#>   score_X

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





5. Combine with other helpers




  

    
RSuffix AND numeric

    
df |>
  select(ends_with("_total") & where(is.numeric))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Key Insight
ends_with() matches LITERAL strings. For regex suffix patterns, use matches("_\\d{4}$") to match _ followed by 4 digits at end.



ends_with() vs starts_with() vs contains() vs matches()







Helper
Matches






starts_with("x")
Names starting with "x"




ends_with("y")
Names ending with "y"




contains("ab")
Names containing "ab"




matches("regex")
Regex match







Use ends_with for suffix-based; starts_with for prefix; contains for substring; matches for regex.



A practical workflow



Use ends_with for time-stamped or unit-suffixed columns.




  

    
RInteractive R

    
sales |>
  mutate(across(ends_with("_revenue"), ~ .x / 1000)) |>
  rename_with(~ sub("_revenue", "_revenue_k", .x), ends_with("_revenue"))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Scale and rename simultaneously.



For period comparisons:




  

    
RInteractive R

    
df |>
  mutate(diff = rowSums(across(ends_with("_2024"))) -
                rowSums(across(ends_with("_2023"))))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Common pitfalls



Pitfall 1: confusing ends_with with starts_with. Easy typo. Make sure you're matching the right side of the column name.



Pitfall 2: case-sensitivity default. Like starts_with, ends_with is case-insensitive by default. Pass ignore.case = FALSE for strict.



Warning
ends_with() accepts a single string or character vector. Vector means "OR": ends_with(c("_a","_b")) matches names ending with either suffix.



Try it yourself





Try it: Select all iris columns ending with "Width". Save to ex_widths.



  

    
RYour turn: width columns

    
ex_widths <- iris |>
  # your code here

names(ex_widths)
#> Expected: c("Sepal.Width", "Petal.Width")

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Click to reveal solution



  

    
RSolution

    
ex_widths <- iris |>
  select(ends_with("Width"))

names(ex_widths)
#> [1] "Sepal.Width" "Petal.Width"

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Explanation: Two iris columns end with "Width".










After mastering ends_with, look at:



    


  • starts_with(): prefix mirror
    • 


  • contains(): substring
    • 


  • matches(): regex
    • 


  • everything(): all remaining
    • 


  • where(): predicate-based
    • 





FAQ



What does ends_with do in dplyr?



ends_with(match) selects columns whose names end with the string match. Tidyselect helper for suffix matching.



Is ends_with case-sensitive?



No, by default it is case-insensitive. Pass ignore.case = FALSE for strict matching.



Can ends_with take multiple suffixes?



Yes. ends_with(c("_a","_b")) matches names ending with either suffix.



What is the difference between ends_with and matches?



ends_with is literal; matches is regex. ends_with(".csv") matches the literal ".csv"; matches("\\.csv$") does the same with regex.



How do I drop columns by suffix?



select(-ends_with("_temp")). Minus inverts the selection.



          

        


        
      


      

        

        
© 2016-2026 Selva Prabhakaran.
          This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License.
        

        

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