bring (someone or something) to a dead end

bring (someone or something) to a dead end

To lead to an impasse; to lead to a point where no more progress is possible. The phrase can be literal or figurative. Because the GPS brought us to a dead end, we'll have to turn around and take that side road. Investigating that theory has brought my research to a dead end—every experiment I've tried so far has failed.See also: bring, dead, end

bring something to a dead end

to cause something to reach a point from which it can go no further. The accident brought the project to a dead end. The study was brought to a dead end by the loss of federal funding.See also: bring, dead, end