- 1a road, passage, etc. that is closed at one end The first street we tried turned out to be a dead end.
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- 2a point at which you can make no further progress in what you are doing We came to a dead end in our research. This line of investigation could prove to be a complete dead end. He's in a dead-end job in the local factory (= one with low pay and no hope of promotion). These negotiations are a dead-end street (= they have reached a point where no further progress is possible).
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