blind alley

Definitions

A dead-end street or passage.

A course of action or line of reasoning that leads to no successful outcome.

Examples

The investigation into the company's finances turned out to be a blind alley, yielding no evidence of wrongdoing.

We spent hours searching for the hidden entrance, only to realize we had wandered into a blind alley.

Synonyms

dead end cul-de-sac no-win situation impasse stalemate blind street

Antonyms

thoroughfare open road breakthrough avenue of opportunity passage way forward