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Meaning & use

the brick wall

noun, phrase·Everyday

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UK/ðə ˌbrɪk ˈwɔːl/
US/ðə ˌbrɪk ˈwɔːl/

Meanings

  1. nounsingular

    A wall built from bricks, especially one that is solid and hard to get past or through.

    Grammar: Takes "the" when a particular wall is already known: the brick wall at the end of the garden.

    Patterns

    • the brick wall behind something
    • build the brick wall
    • hit the brick wall

    The ball bounced off the brick wall and landed in the neighbor's yard.

    They painted the brick wall white to make the room look brighter.

    A tall brick wall runs along the whole side of the property.

  2. phraseidiomfigurative

    A situation in which you can make no further progress and feel completely blocked.

    Grammar: Used in fixed phrases with "hit" or "run into": we hit a brick wall with the planning.

    Patterns

    • hit a brick wall
    • run into a brick wall
    • come up against a brick wall

    We hit a brick wall when the funding was suddenly cut.

    Every time she asks for the records, she runs into a brick wall of silence.

    The talks came up against a brick wall over pay.

Common combinations

hit a brick wall
The project hit a brick wall after the first round of testing.
run into a brick wall
I keep running into a brick wall whenever I ask for a refund.
a solid brick wall
Behind the shelves there is a solid brick wall.
be like talking to a brick wall
Explaining it to him is like talking to a brick wall.

Synonyms and how they differ

dead end
A dead end is a situation with no way forward; a brick wall suggests an obstacle you physically cannot push through.
obstacle
Obstacle is the neutral, general word; a brick wall is more vivid and usually implies total blockage.
stalemate
Stalemate means neither side can win or move; a brick wall focuses on one person's blocked effort.

Opposites

breakthroughopening

Word family

brickwork noun
the brick parts of a building, seen as a surface or structure

Commonly confused: the brick wall or stone wall?

the brick wall vs stone wall

A stone wall is built of stone and can also mean a stubborn refusal to answer, as in "stonewall."

Practice

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