lead nowhere

lead nowhere

To ultimately yield or achieve no useful, beneficial, or successful result or outcome. This meeting is leading nowhere. We've been here for over two hours now and haven't even been able to come up with a name for our product! It appears that talks between Democrats and Republicans on a compromised spending bill have led nowhere.
See also: lead, nowhere
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

lead (somebody) ˈnowhere

have no successful result for somebody: This discussion is leading nowhere.
See also: lead, nowhere
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • at the end of the day
  • be more trouble than it's worth
  • action
  • pot luck
  • bargain over (someone or something) (with someone)
  • hold (someone) in good stead
  • stead
  • calculated risk
  • a silver lining
  • behoof
References in classic literature
I would do a great deal better (if I was not an ignorant brute that will never do any good all my life), I would do a great deal better, I say, to go home to my wife and children and support them and bring them up on what God may please to give me, instead of following your worship along roads that lead nowhere and paths that are none at all, with little to drink and less to eat.
Actual life is full of false clues and sign-posts that lead nowhere. With infinite effort we nerve ourselves for a crisis that never comes.
The muddy lanes, green or clayey, that seemed to the unaccustomed eye to lead nowhere but into each other, did really lead, with patience, to a distant high-road; but there were many feet in Basset which they led more frequently to a centre of dissipation, spoken of formerly as the "Markis o' Granby," but among intimates as "Dickison's." A large low room with a sanded floor; a cold scent of tobacco, modified by undetected beer-dregs; Mr.
Spacious avenues, that begin in nothing, and lead nowhere; streets, mile-long, that only want houses, roads and inhabitants; public buildings that need but a public to be complete; and ornaments of great thoroughfares, which only lack great thoroughfares to ornament - are its leading features.
Macron complained meetings are too long and lead nowhere
In an interview with "MTV" Station this evening, he advised against "reopening the discussion bazar once again, in case of any tendency towards making amendments to the budget within the House of Parliament, since that would lead nowhere!" "If they begin to alter the budget and eliminate certain austerity or tax measures taken, and we enter into new debate, it would then be difficult to rectify the economic situation and the crisis might be prolonged," cautiouned Abu Sleiman.
He said the repression and the use of force against the resistance leaders would lead nowhere; instead the solution to the all problems lies in dialogue.
Taking revenge or avenging will lead nowhere at any point of time.
Jellason suggested that the lady must have been on an unwholesome mission that would lead nowhere.'
The austerity drive is laudable but unfortunately relying solely on it will lead nowhere.
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman reiterated that he crisis in Yemen has no military solution, and said, "Resorting to force would lead nowhere."
Though there is plenty of action, Blight's pace lags in some places, the central conflict diluted by side skirmishes which ultimately lead nowhere. Fans of dystopian fiction should find the premise and characters compelling.--Johanna Nation-Vallee.
They say an Abbas-Netanyahu meeting would lead nowhere without a freeze on Israeli settlement building, the release of Palestinian prisoners and a deadline for an end to the occupation.
"A military escalation and a civil war will lead nowhere. It will only prolong the agony of the conflict.
Summary: Iranian foreign minister's upbeat 'political will' for lasting nuclear deal comes one day after supreme leader said talks 'lead nowhere'.