DEAD ENDS Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

dead-ends 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dead-end

as in ends

to come to an end after several fruitless years, the research seems to have simply dead-ended

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dead ends

2 of 2

noun

plural of dead end

as in secondary roads

Related Words

as in bottlenecks

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dead-ends

Verb

Boca Chica Beach is a free, undeveloped eight-mile stretch of Gulf shoreline near Brownsville—the southernmost city in Texas—where Highway 4 dead-ends at the water and SpaceX’s Starbase launch towers loom to the north. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 28 June 2026 The one road in—NW Torreya Park Road—dead-ends at the Gregory House. — Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026 That is one of many problems that Zara and Luke go on to dodge, including dead-ends, dead bodies and a drunken mom. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026 With three exposures on a block that dead-ends above the East River, the house is also filled with beautiful light. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2025 Doubles, glitches, erotic dread, narrative dead-ends. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead-ends

Verb

The video automatically ends when the trip is complete, according to Uber.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Even the Harvard incident ends without drama when, believe it or not, the Duffys realize that Harvard is actually a comfortable, supportive environment for conservative Catholics.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of ends

Noun

Key Biscayne The Village of Key Biscayne strictly prohibits all micromobility devices on streets, highways, sidewalks, bicycle paths, multiuse paths and trails, beaches and dunes unless otherwise authorized.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Two men were sentenced Thursday for staging crashes on New York City highways to get fraudulent insurance payouts.

— Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of highways

Noun

Aside from building new hubs, India’s government has sought to bolster the country’s air cargo capabilities by removing the mandatory rescreening of transshipment cargo at transit stations to alleviate supply chain bottlenecks.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Sure, there are still bottlenecks galore (memory, power, a limited number of fabs).

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of bottlenecks

Noun

Plausibly, then, Chinese forecasters determined that the weather would not break before the current launch window to reach the lunar pole from Wenchang closes.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Aug. 2026
An early positive working relationship has been struck with Ross Wilson, the sporting director, and the pair usually speak multiple times every day, although their volume of conversations may decrease slightly once the transfer window closes.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of closes

Noun

Nepal’s Department of Roads says at least 19 motorable bridges and around 40 kilometers of roads have also been damaged or washed away.

— Milad Haghani, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
Rescue efforts, still in their first stages, have been hampered by the fact that the floodwaters have washed away entire roads.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of roads

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dead-ending

dead-ends

dead ends

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“Dead-ends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead-ends. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of dead-ends

verb

noun

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