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

Taking inspiration from Degrassi, Skins follows a group of teens in dead-end Bristol who spice up their dull middle school existences with drinking, drugging, and saucy instant messaging (remember that?). —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026

Peters, then, is seen less as a symptom of a noxious, dead-end attention economy and instead as entertainment, including by the people disposed to reject his cruel means of fame and influence. —Miles Klee, Wired News, 25 Feb. 2026

Verb

Inside, the tunnel design often includes blast-trap dead-end shafts aligned with the entrance axis. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026

The answer is that the tunnel has to go to either Block 780/Penn South, a dead-end terminal or existing Penn Station, which can be achieved by through-running trains out the other side of Penn to either Grand Central or Queens and Long Island. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026

Noun

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, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026

Online, fans reported long wait times in the Ticketmaster queue that ultimately led to a dead end due to the speed at which tickets sold out for each date. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 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