blind alley

noun

: a fruitless or mistaken course or direction

Examples of blind alley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As Michael Porter famously pointed out, strategy is not operational effectiveness, and what makes for great instincts about execution can lead you down a strategic blind alley. Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 The consistency of his defending has improved, as has his knack for knowing when to burst forward with the ball and when to wait for team-mates to join him instead of running down blind alleys. Carl Anka, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blind alley was in 1665

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Cite this Entry

“Blind alley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blind%20alley. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

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