2
: a street or passage closed at one end
Our house is located on a quiet cul-de-sac.
3
: blind alley
If your job is a cul-de-sac, you have to quit or accept the fact that your career is over.—
Seth Godin
Examples of cul-de-sac 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.
The encounter occurred in a shallow cul-de-sac lined with upscale homes just off Angelique.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
In the video, the alligator walks along a cul-de-sac before resting under a white van.
—Jason Dill, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
The crime came to authorities’ attention at 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, when deputies were called to an upscale cul-de-sac lined with multi-million dollar homes on Lake Lenier.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
The five-bedroom home sits on almost a half-acre of land off a secluded cul-de-sac.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cul-de-sac
Word History
Etymology
French, literally, bottom of the bag
First Known Use
1738, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of cul-de-sac was in 1738
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Cul-de-sac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https:///dictionary/cul-de-sac. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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