come to a dead end
1. Literally, to reach the end of a route where one cannot continue traveling. I knew my GPS was wrong when it told me to turn onto a road that came to a dead end. We've come to a dead end. We'll have to turn around and take that side road. Are you sure this is where the directions said to go? Because it sure looks like we've come to a dead end.
2. By extension, to reach a point after which no more progress is possible, as in a project. My research has come to a dead end—every experiment I've tried so far has failed. I'm afraid we've come to a dead end in our investigation. How are you going to continue to progress in your current job? Sounds to me like you've come to a dead end.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
come to a dead end
and reach a dead end 1. Lit. to reach a point where one can go no farther and can turn in no new direction. The road comes to a dead end about a mile farther.
2. Fig. to have run out of possible ideas, solutions, energy, etc. I've come to a dead end. I'm fresh out of ideas. The committee reached a dead end on the matter and tabled the whole business.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.