dead-end vs desert

dead-end

verb
  • To come to a dead-end. 

noun
  • A road with no exit. 

  • A position that offers no hope of progress. 

adj
  • Going nowhere; blocked. 

desert

verb
  • To leave (anything that depends on one's presence to survive, exist, or succeed), especially when contrary to a promise or obligation; to abandon; to forsake. 

  • To leave one's duty or post, especially to leave a military or naval unit without permission. 

adj
  • Usually of a place: abandoned, deserted, or uninhabited. 

noun
  • That which is deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward. 

  • A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland. 

  • Any barren place or situation. 

How often have the words dead-end and desert occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )