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-ended; dead-ending; dead-ends
: to come to a dead end : terminate
the road dead-ends at the lake
the investigation dead-ended
1
: an end (as of a street) without an exit
2
: a position, situation, or course of action that leads to nothing further
Synonyms
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
Robert Farrington, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Recent graduates joining Boeing can work on products currently in use, rather than futuristic ideas locked in long and potentially dead-end development cycles.
—Aashna Shah, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
Two days after the Home Depot blitz, Eberhart and his detectives drove to an electrical-supply store on a dead-end street in East L.A.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
The rest just dead-end in mid-air, with treacherous drop-offs that could cause serious injury — or worse — should anyone fall from them.
—By
wayne Parry, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
Carter, 43, was found face down on a dead-end street with no clothing except for a pair of socks, Birmingham Detective Finke said, AL.com reported.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Cincinnati’s King Records is a place where rock history, civil rights history and Cincinnati history intersect at the corner of a dead-end street just north of Downtown.
—The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2024
If this weren’t sad enough, the clanging piano chords—loping around in circular motion—taunt her dead-end state.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024
The post by the Humane Society said that late Wednesday night, three 8-week-old pointer/hound mix puppies were thrown from a car to the side of a dead-end road.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024
Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2023
Commissioner Andrew Brink said without a street connection to the east, the roundabout effectively will dead-end within the development.
—Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2023
Leah forging her escape from what might have been a dead-end life; Jean's fierce and lonely struggle to make art while living at the bottom of the economy.
—Joan Frank, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2023
Their single mother, Fiona (Robyn Lively), is a recovering alcoholic hairdresser with a history of dead-end relationships, mostly too busy going on dates to be attentive to her sons’ needs.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2023
The available roles may be lower-paying and dead-end jobs people don’t want.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023
This, Wyatt hopes, will nudge designers away from dead-end or unappealing results.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2022
Growing up in a duplex on a dead-end street with her sister, Patti, a longtime Hollywood publicist, her upbringing was steeped in the arts, with her father performing for presidents like FDR and at John F. Kennedy’s wedding.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 8 Mar. 2023
Dave, meanwhile, is battling both a dead-end job and identity issues stemming from being a mixed-race gay son of an overbearing Indian mother.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2023
Kai Bird, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Verdict Greek namesakes notwithstanding, there remains a meaningful difference between a forking navigational game that’s riddled with dead ends and a winding hypnotic track that isn’t.
—Hazlitt, 10 Apr. 2024
The new addition was born from a practical necessity that doubled as an obvious metaphor: In its previous state, the 150-year-old museum suffered from a profusion of dead ends in its many halls.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
At times, tips resulted in nothing more than dead ends.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Projects like these are a rabbit hole as well as a dead end.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024
There were many times when professional golf seemed like a dead end.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
If Moscow realizes that its war is a dead end, it could be compelled to admit failure.
—Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024
After searching for new clues, receiving false confessions and hitting many dead ends, The Black Dahlia case has left people with little hope that it will ever be solved.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
Adjective
When the current administration's plan to forgive $10,000 to $20,000 in federal student debt per eligible borrower was squashed by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in 2023, many believed the dream of student loan forgiveness had reached a dead-end.
—Robert Farrington, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Recent graduates joining Boeing can work on products currently in use, rather than futuristic ideas locked in long and potentially dead-end development cycles.
—Aashna Shah, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
Two days after the Home Depot blitz, Eberhart and his detectives drove to an electrical-supply store on a dead-end street in East L.A.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
The rest just dead-end in mid-air, with treacherous drop-offs that could cause serious injury — or worse — should anyone fall from them.
—By
wayne Parry, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
Carter, 43, was found face down on a dead-end street with no clothing except for a pair of socks, Birmingham Detective Finke said, AL.com reported.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Cincinnati’s King Records is a place where rock history, civil rights history and Cincinnati history intersect at the corner of a dead-end street just north of Downtown.
—The Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2024
If this weren’t sad enough, the clanging piano chords—loping around in circular motion—taunt her dead-end state.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024
The post by the Humane Society said that late Wednesday night, three 8-week-old pointer/hound mix puppies were thrown from a car to the side of a dead-end road.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
Where any normal car would need a three-point turn (down yet another dead-end Camden side street, for instance), the taxi simply spins around and goes.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2023
Commissioner Andrew Brink said without a street connection to the east, the roundabout effectively will dead-end within the development.
—Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2023
Leah forging her escape from what might have been a dead-end life; Jean's fierce and lonely struggle to make art while living at the bottom of the economy.
—Joan Frank, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2023
Their single mother, Fiona (Robyn Lively), is a recovering alcoholic hairdresser with a history of dead-end relationships, mostly too busy going on dates to be attentive to her sons’ needs.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2023
The available roles may be lower-paying and dead-end jobs people don’t want.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023
This, Wyatt hopes, will nudge designers away from dead-end or unappealing results.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2022
Growing up in a duplex on a dead-end street with her sister, Patti, a longtime Hollywood publicist, her upbringing was steeped in the arts, with her father performing for presidents like FDR and at John F. Kennedy’s wedding.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 8 Mar. 2023
Dave, meanwhile, is battling both a dead-end job and identity issues stemming from being a mixed-race gay son of an overbearing Indian mother.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2023
Noun
Both of these deplorable leaders have led their peoples to a dead end.
—Kai Bird, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Verdict Greek namesakes notwithstanding, there remains a meaningful difference between a forking navigational game that’s riddled with dead ends and a winding hypnotic track that isn’t.
—Hazlitt, 10 Apr. 2024
The new addition was born from a practical necessity that doubled as an obvious metaphor: In its previous state, the 150-year-old museum suffered from a profusion of dead ends in its many halls.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
At times, tips resulted in nothing more than dead ends.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Projects like these are a rabbit hole as well as a dead end.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024
There were many times when professional golf seemed like a dead end.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
If Moscow realizes that its war is a dead end, it could be compelled to admit failure.
—Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024
After searching for new clues, receiving false confessions and hitting many dead ends, The Black Dahlia case has left people with little hope that it will ever be solved.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dead-end.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near dead-end
Cite this Entry
“Dead-end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead-end. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
dead-end
1 of 2 adjectiveˌded-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
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