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

Less than thirty minutes from Jordan Creek Town Center, but a world away in lifestyle and mindset, a modern 2,040-square-foot country escape is securely hidden at the end of a dead-end street. —Des Moines Register, 19 Jan. 2026

Mainstream Democrats would do better to accept that funding ICE, regardless of how much training anyone gets, will result in more death—and that the politics of domination is a dead-end. —Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026

Verb

Officers attempted to stop a car believed to be involved in drug activity in East Baltimore, before the driver led police on a chase to a dead-end alley in East Baltimore, according to police. —Adam Thompson, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026

Detectives later found the car at a dead-end portion of Northeast 10th Avenue. —Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026

Noun

Empire State legislators quickly realized the structure was a dead end that made their legal market uncompetitive from day one. —Lou Rinaldi, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026

So is the simple and slow chord progression underlying it all, making for a folk song that avoids the predictable tropes of protest music and doesn’t rely on cynicism as a dead end. —Grace Robins-Somerville, Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 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