"impasses" in the noun sense
1. deadlock, dead end, impasse, stalemate, standstill
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
"reached an impasse on the negotiations"
2. blind alley, cul de sac, dead-end street, impasse
a street with only one way in or out
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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