dead-end

adjective

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\ ˈded-ˌend

Definition of dead-end

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : lacking opportunities especially for advancement a dead-end job

b : lacking an exit a dead-end street

2 : unruly dead-end kids

dead-end

verb

\ ˈded-ˈend

dead-ended; dead-ending; dead-ends

Definition of dead-end (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

: to come to a dead end : terminate the road dead-ends at the lake the investigation dead-ended

dead end

noun

\ ˈded-ˈend

Definition of dead end (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : an end (as of a street) without an exit

2 : a position, situation, or course of action that leads to nothing further

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Examples of dead-end in a Sentence

Noun We came to a dead end and had to turn around. My career has hit a dead end.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Less than a month after Lewis was killed, the investigation hit a dead end. — Mick Dumke, ProPublica, "“Power Companies Get Exactly What They Want”: How Texas Repeatedly Failed to Protect Its Power Grid Against Extreme Weather," 28 Feb. 2021 The conventional sales strategy of selling to cocktail bars seemed like a dead end. — Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Move over, Aperol spritz: Sunny, breezy California aperitifs are the chic Millennial's new drink of choice," 5 Feb. 2021 Equal Opportunity complaints, current and former servicemembers say, is often a dead end, resulting in little action, or worse, backfiring on the complainant. — NBC News, "The Pentagon has sat on racial discrimination survey data for years," 18 Dec. 2020 His election challenges near a dead end, President Donald Trump spent Saturday tweeting grievances, commiserating with supporters, attacking fellow Republicans, and flying to upstate New York for the Army-Navy football game. — David Jackson, USA TODAY, "Trump rails against Barr, Kemp, other Republicans over election loss ahead of Army-Navy game," 12 Dec. 2020 On an overcast but mild morning in late October, Nathan Harrington pulled up at a dead end in the southern reaches of D.C. — Washington Post, "A fight for forest equity in Southeast D.C. takes on new urgency amid pandemic," 5 Dec. 2020 At one point, O'Neil reached a dead end and abandoned his vehicle. — Haley Victory Smith, Washington Examiner, "San Francisco officer charged with on-duty homicide, DA's office calls it a first," 24 Nov. 2020 In overlooking the many forms that meritocracy takes, Sandel perpetuates the myth that vocational education is a dead end. — New York Times, "Meritocracy, Silicon Valley and Other Letters to the Editor," 4 Dec. 2020 Trump’s supporters in Israel, however, say his hard-line tactics have taught Palestinians that their history of rejecting peace offers has led them to a diplomatic dead end. — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, "After Trump’s dramatic tilt toward Israel, Biden likely to restore traditional approach," 8 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dead-end.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.