dead end
noun
something, as a street or water pipe, that has no exit.
dead ends
-
pluralof dead end.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
dead-ends
-
present tense formof dead-end (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
dead endnounsomething, as a street or water pipe, that has no exit.
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.
See Examples For:
Nepali rescuers searched Wednesday for survivors feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels a week after devastating floods, but hopes were fading as teams hit dead ends and no one was confirmed alive.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Whether we planned for them or not, the road is filled with obstacles, detours and dead ends.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
In the meantime, police were exploring other avenues, other suspects, hitting dead ends and trawling through mountains of CCTV.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Nanos has tried to dispel concerns that investigators are hitting nothing but dead ends, telling NBC News that “as long as we have the ability to chase a lead, it’s not cold.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
It can help rid their writing of errors, dead ends, and confusing passages.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Page got to work looking for a writer, a process that involved many dead-ends and far too many pitches about, “a local coming out of Louisiana and now she’s a star,” Page said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2025
However, pharmaceutical companies want to recover their years of research and development costs - and the field has produced a lot of expensive duds and dead-ends.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2024
Podcasts such as The Coldest Case in Laramie and Bear Brook detail twists and turns in who-done-it style journalism, exposing dead-ends and biases in investigations that have left possible killers free for decades.
From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2023
Toward the horizon, the yellow turf dead-ends into a construction zone where, days into the tournament, heavy machinery was arranging still more containers.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2022
The asphalt dead-ends, but there’s a gravel driveway heading to the Boy Scout camp.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
