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Definitions

dead end



ADJECTIVE
closed off; lacking opportunity
Synonyms




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The fact that Vance and his team weren’t ready even to stay over one night suggests either that they were very naive or that they knew the trip was a dead end.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Trying to reach a hypnotist who she believes has the missing piece of the puzzle she’s found herself caught up in, Lilian hits a dead end.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

The remains of these invisible dead end up in Dolores Cemetery, Mexico's largest, situated in Chapultepec Forest.

From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025

He has been telling anyone who asks that he thinks large language models, or LLMs, are a dead end in the pursuit of computers that can truly outthink humans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 2025

‘We have come to a dead end, Sam,’ said Frodo.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien