dead-end

1 of 3

adjective

ˈded-ˌend 

1

a

: lacking opportunities especially for advancement

a dead-end job

b

: lacking an exit

a dead-end street

2

: unruly

dead-end kids

dead-endedness

ˌded-ˈen-dəd-nəs 

noun

dead-end

2 of 3

verb

ˈded-ˈend 

dead-ended; dead-ending; dead-ends

intransitive verb

: to come to a dead end : terminate

the road dead-ends at the lake

the investigation dead-ended

dead end

3 of 3

noun

ˈded-ˈend 

1

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

2

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

Synonyms of dead-end

Verb

• end
• stop
• halt
• conclude
• expire
• cease

Examples of dead-end in a Sentence

Verb

after several fruitless years, the research seems to have simply dead-ended

Noun

We came to a dead end and had to turn around.

My career has hit a dead end.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Fish ladders currently straddle each side of the dam, serving a step system for the salmon and trout to jump over the dam and reach the upstream water that hits a dead-end at the foot of Englebright Dam. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 19 Mar. 2026

Mutiny includes no college grads in dead-end jobs whose grievances have turned them toward MAGA rather than union activism—young men and women recruited by Turning Point USA while still in college. —George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026

Verb

In response to the prank, Guerry allegedly chased the teens down a dead-end street near a dump site. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2026

For example, Fortune visited one mile-long dead-end road that until recently was lined with just eight homes. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026

Noun

Having hit a dead end, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office decided to bring the case to the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organization founded in 2017 that uses investigative genetic genealogy experts, who work pro bono, to identify unknown deceased persons. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

What should never come into question, however, is the importance of tackling the hard questions in the first place — specifically, those questions that get at the heart of how our world works — even if finding the correct solutions involves more dead ends than front-page news stories. —Mariangela Lisanti, Twin Cities, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1940, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dead-end

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• depend

Kids Definition

dead-end

1 of 2 adjective

ˌded-ˌend

1

a

: having no opportunities for advancement

a dead-end job

b

: lacking an exit

dead-end street

2

: unruly

dead-end kids

dead end

2 of 2 noun

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