lead (one) up a blind alley
To direct, compel, or convince one take a course of action that ends in an impasse or an undesirable outcome. I've been trying various ways to fix this machine, but everything I've tried has just led me up a blind alley. It came to light that the company led investors up a blind alley with its projections, promising year-on-year profits that were completely unattainable.
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