DEAD-END Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

dead-end 1 of 2

verb

ˈded-ˈend

Definition of dead-end

as in to end

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dead end

2 of 2

noun

as in high road

Related Words

as in dilemma

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dead-end

Verb

So Help Me God’s songs unfurl across five, seven, and even eight minutes, speaking on the perils of not knowing oneself, feeling suffocated by a dead-end relationship, and coaxing out the will to do better. — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026 Time confetti is basically a dead-end street to burnout, Brown adds. — Parents, 13 June 2026

Noun

The Omani deal with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz is also a dead end. — Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 7 Aug. 2026 Just before the anniversary of Guthrie’s disappearance, law enforcement hit another dead end. — Stephanie Murray, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dead-end

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead-end

Verb

However, the action may not end at 11pm — deal sheets allow clubs to conclude signings two hours after the transfer window closes, provided the correct paperwork is submitted before the deadline.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Amid a scorching stretch, Bregman ends the month with his lifetime total now sitting at two.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of end

Noun

Getty Images The plight of the A’s in Oakland and the Rays in Tampa Bay has been a Major League Baseball dilemma for decades, spanning the careers of the last two commissioners, Rob Manfred and Bud Selig.

— Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Gaines and White talked at length at halftime of Friday’s game about their convictions on the trans in women’s sports dilemma.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of dilemma

Verb

The new rules mandated that referees stop play for a ten-minute hydration break that allows players to drink fluids, change clothes, or shower in their locker room.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
The team stopped at 800 N because increasing the load further would require additional protective equipment, with a separate destructive limit test planned.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of stop

Noun

However, the action may not end at 11pm — deal sheets allow clubs to conclude signings two hours after the transfer window closes, provided the correct paperwork is submitted before the deadline.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
However, as the month comes to a close, North Texas will see a slight chance of rain later in the week.

— Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of close

Noun

Civilian infrastructure failed or disappeared, telecommunications broke down, and hundreds of thousands of people were stranded in what was already a relatively remote, rugged corner of the country.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
But apart from that, there’s the matter of just how awfully spirit-lifting her earth-angel mezzo-soprano tends to be, even when backing herself into dark corners before backing her way back out again.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of corner

Verb

Tribes whose historic homelands fall within the forest became leading voices in the effort to halt logging, with the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ Priscilla Hunter emerging as a major force.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
But since February, its progress has halted, said Leo Rossignac-Milon, the co-founder of Track My Visa, a third-party service that monitors applications for 25,000 users.

— Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of halt

Noun

AVs can cause safety issues, especially during inclement weather, blackouts and on roads where there's construction or unusual traffic.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Thus the oceanic feeling might be the royal road to establishing a museum of affiliations, rather than the old colonialist museum of conquests.

— George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of road

Browse Nearby Words

deaden

dead-end

dead end

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dead-end.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead-end. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dead-end

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes