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Showing results for dead end. Search instead for dual-end.
Definitions

dead end

NOUN
cul-de-sac; deadlock
Synonyms
STRONGEST
stalemate
WEAK
Catch-22 blank wall blind alley corner draw impasse nowhere to turn obstacle road block standoff stumbling block
ADJECTIVE
closed off; lacking opportunity
Synonyms
STRONGEST
blocked closed
STRONG
going nowhere leading nowhere without egress without exit
WEAK
blind
VERB
frustrate, hinder
Synonyms
STRONG
bar block impede obstruct prevent prohibit stymie thwart

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

Early this week, the peace efforts appeared to be at a dead end.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

"Everyone is also coming to the conclusion that we're heading into a dead end," he said.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

There is no dead end that isn’t obscuring some secret hatch or hidden door revealed by doing his own research.

From Salon • Oct. 13, 2025

Those “bad decisions,” Obama has acknowledged, could have led him to a personal dead end.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander