Can I force WP_Query to return no results?

I’m working on a website with a search feature that allows users to search through a lot of post meta. There is a specific search pattern that I would like to forcibly return no results for. The WP_Query technically will find results in the database, but I’d like to override that somehow to force it to return no results to trigger the if( $example->have_posts() ) to fail.

The right way to create a custom search page for complex custom post types

I am trying to create a custom search page to show only custom posts types that meet specific search criteria. I have a complex form that involves different selects, radio buttons and text input fields. I am comfortable using the WP_Query class to query for the posts that are identified via the search form, but I’m not sure if I should create additional templates or use the built in search page.