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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Iran's oil exports appear to have essentially ground to a halt in recent days. Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 Support for the California High-Speed Rail project is growing as the state's transportation system continues to grind to a halt. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025 Now, the first serious 21st-century effort to fly a nuclear rocket engine in space is grinding to a halt. Stephen Clark – Jun 3, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2025 If China or India stopped buying cheap oil, Mr. Putin's war machine would grind to a halt. Isabella Murray, ABC News, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for grind to a halt

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grind to a halt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind%20to%20a%20halt. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!