grind to a halt
idiom
of a machine
: to stop working or moving forward
The machinery slowly ground to a halt.
—often used figurativelyWithout 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
Grassroots petition drives would likely grind to a halt.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2025
Canada’s busiest airport grinds to a halt The crash prompted Toronto Pearson International to temporarily shut down all five of its runways Monday afternoon, causing delays at the country’s busiest airport and forcing several flights to divert to nearby airports.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
Traffic on city roads could grind to a halt if too many residents rely on driving to get around, so city officials say mass transit must be part of any long-term solution.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Developers say new downtown construction won’t grind to a halt.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind to a halt
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Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2025
Canada’s busiest airport grinds to a halt The crash prompted Toronto Pearson International to temporarily shut down all five of its runways Monday afternoon, causing delays at the country’s busiest airport and forcing several flights to divert to nearby airports.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
Traffic on city roads could grind to a halt if too many residents rely on driving to get around, so city officials say mass transit must be part of any long-term solution.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Developers say new downtown construction won’t grind to a halt.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind to a halt
Cite this Entry
“Grind to a halt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind%20to%20a%20halt. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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