definitions

blind alley

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR blind alley ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a road, alley, etc., that is open at only one end.
a position or situation offering no hope of progress or improvement: That line of reasoning will only lead you up another blind alley.

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RELATED WORDS

cul-de-sac, impasse, tangent

Nearby words

blimp, blimp out, blimpish, blin, blind, blind alley, blind as a bat, blind blocking, blind carbon copy, blind casing, blind copy

Origin of blind alley

First recorded in 1575–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for blind alley

British Dictionary definitions for blind alley

blind alley

noun

an alley open at one end only; cul-de-sac
informal a situation in which no further progress can be made
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with blind alley

blind alley

A dead end; a position without hope of progress or success. For example, That line of questioning led the attorney up yet another blind alley. This term alludes to a street or alley that has no outlet at one end. [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.