blind alley

noun

1. a road, alley, etc., that is open at only one end.
2. a position or situation offering no hope of progress or improvement:

   That line of reasoning will only lead you up another blind alley.

blind alley

noun

1. an alley open at one end only; cul-de-sac
2. informal.
   a situation in which no further progress can be made

Word History and Origins

Origin of blind alley¹

First recorded in 1575–85

Idioms and Phrases

A dead end; a position without hope of progress or success. For example, That line of questioning led the attorney up yet another blind alley . This term alludes to a street or alley that has no outlet at one end. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

I cannot put my own case to the Admiralty although the machines are wanted for overland tactics—a fatal blind alley.

From Project Gutenberg

The imitation of foreigners is the dangerous blind alley into which our art has betaken itself.

From Project Gutenberg

It darted around the blind-alley shelf and was back a moment later.

From Project Gutenberg

By the end of the Hospital of Santo Spirito there was a little blind alley bounded by a low wall.

From Project Gutenberg

He was at the end of a blind alley, where there was no light from any direction except that by which he had entered it.

From Project Gutenberg