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
That said, just as the scientific study of animal consciousness didn’t grind to a halt due to exaggerated claims about animal intelligence, the presence of hoaxes should not necessarily preclude a serious examination of UFO sightings.
—
David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
Grassroots petition drives would likely grind to a halt.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2025
When navigation systems go dark, everything from food deliveries to military operations grinds to a halt.
—Luis E. Romero, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Workers will lose jobs when infrastructure projects grind to a halt.
—Ailia Zehra, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind to a halt
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.
David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
Grassroots petition drives would likely grind to a halt.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2025
When navigation systems go dark, everything from food deliveries to military operations grinds to a halt.
—Luis E. Romero, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Workers will lose jobs when infrastructure projects grind to a halt.
—Ailia Zehra, The Hill, 14 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share