# dead end

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dead-end
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A street or path or tunnel that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

## Examples

- We turned around because the road was a dead end.
- The GPS led us into a narrow dead end, so we had to reverse all the way back to the main road.
- The winding path through the forest eventually became a dead end, forcing the hikers to retrace their steps toward the valley.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.