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Sackgasse

dead end

noun ZAHK-gah-se Less Common
Travel & Places Directions

Origin: from Sack (sack) and Gasse (alley)

Also means

cul-de-sac

Usage Note

Sackgasse is a street with no through exit, literally a sack-alley. It is widely used figuratively too, as in in eine Sackgasse geraten (to reach an impasse) in negotiations or thinking.

Examples

"Die Straße endete unerwartet in einer Sackgasse."

Natural Translation

The street ended unexpectedly in a dead end.

Literal Translation

The street ended unexpectedly in a dead-end.

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