at a dead end
At an impasse; at a point where no more progress is possible. The phrase can be literal or figurative. We're at a dead end. We'll have to turn around and take that side road. My research is at a dead end—every experiment I've tried so far has failed.
at a dead end
Fig. having reached an impasse; able to go no further forward. I can't go on. I'm at a dead end. We are at a dead end; the project is hopelessly stalled.