grind to a halt

idiom

of a machine

: to stop working or moving forward

The machinery slowly ground to a halt.

—often used figuratively

Without more money, work on the project will soon grind to a halt.

Examples of grind to a halt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Critics say they were aimed at giving him political cover as Gaza cease-fire talks ground to a halt. —

Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 The musical grinds to a halt whenever Norma is offstage and a chorus of showbiz wannabes, clad in cargo pants and hoodies, scavenge for their next meal ticket. —

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024 One common belief in the business world is investments grind to a halt while executives await the results of the Nov. 5 presidential election. —

Wayne Cantwell, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Former Times photojournalist Bryan Chan drove by the scene of the incident on the southbound 5 Freeway around 5 p.m. where northbound traffic had ground to a halt. —

Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grind to a halt

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“Grind to a halt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind%20to%20a%20halt. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

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