Awful deeds and situations offering no way out (4,4)
I believe the answer is:
dead ends
'situations offering no way out' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.
'awful deeds and' is the wordplay.
'awful' indicates anagramming the letters.
'deeds'+'and'='deedsand'
'deedsand' with letters rearranged gives 'DEAD-ENDS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for dead ends that I've seen before include "Blind alleys and closed roads" , "they go nowhere" , "Blind alleys or jobs with no prospects" , "they make further progress impossible" , "Places or situations where further progress is impossible" .)