run into a brick wall
to encounter an insurmountable barrier or obstacle to progress
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I ran into a brick wall trying to fix my computer.”
“We had a great plan for the project, but we ran into a brick wall when the budget was cut.”
“The researchers hoped for a breakthrough, but they ran into a brick wall when the data failed to support their hypothesis.”
- 01
back to the wall
A very difficult situation with no beneficial options available for action.
- 02
balls to the wall
With maximum effort or commitment.
- 03
bang one's head against a brick wall
To waste effort on a futile project.
- 04
blue wall of silence
Strict secretiveness maintained by the members of a police force with respect to information which might be contrary to their interests, especially information concerning questionable police actions.
- 05
bounce off the walls
To be overly active relative to the enclosed space in which one is.
- 06
break into a run
To start running.
- 07
break the fourth wall
To apparently communicate with reality directly, such as when characters of literature comment on the existence of a reader.
- 08
brick in
To enclose with bricks.
Last updated August 10, 2026