cul-de-sac
Americannoun
-
a street, lane, etc., closed at one end; blind alley; dead-end street.
-
any situation in which further progress is impossible.
-
the hemming in of a military force on all sides except behind.
-
Anatomy. a saclike cavity, tube, or the like, open only at one end, as the cecum.
noun
-
a road with one end blocked off; dead end
-
an inescapable position
-
any tube-shaped bodily cavity or pouch closed at one end, such as the caecum
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cul-de-sac
1730–40; < French: literally, bottom of the sack
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.
"I often get into a cul-de-sac, searching up myself about what the problems are with me, and I usually assume that in time, these things will pass, so I only go if it's really serious."
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
Many end up churning through jobs or finding themselves stuck in a career cul-de-sac.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Engineer Edward Rincon, who had been on Engine 23 retrieving hoses the day before, pulled up to the same cul-de-sac.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
The property is also located at the end of a cul-de-sac, ensuring ample privacy.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026
He settles on a huge white house with a long driveway down at the end of the cul-de-sac.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
