THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Hit a brick wall
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To encounter an obstacle that prevents further progress.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- We hit a brick wall when nobody could find the original records.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.
0 of 1 checked correctly
Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
We ________ when nobody could find the original records.
Show the answer
Hit a brick wall — To encounter an obstacle that prevents further progress.
Try your own sentence (optional)
Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Hit a brick wall” about your own life.
Check your sentence
Does your sentence match this meaning?
To encounter an obstacle that prevents further progress.
Compare: We hit a brick wall when nobody could find the original records.
Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.
Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.
This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.
GO DEEPER
More ways to understand and use it
Jump to a section
When to use it
Use it conversationally when a plan or attempt becomes blocked by a difficult problem. It need not mean that progress will be impossible forever.
More examples in context
- My research hit a brick wall after the archive closed for repairs.
- I was making progress with the story, then hit a brick wall with the ending.
Usage note
“Run into a brick wall” is a useful variation. The idiom describes a serious obstacle, not a literal collision.
A short conversation
A: Have you found the information you need?
B: I hit a brick wall when I reached the missing records.
A: Perhaps another archive has copies.
One more practice question
Which situation shows a project hitting a brick wall?
A. Progress stops because an essential piece of information is unavailable.
B. The team completes each stage without any obstacle.
Check your answer
A. A difficult obstacle has blocked further progress.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.