slam/jam on the brakes
idiom
: to press down hard on the brakes of a car to make it stop suddenly
He slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the other car.
You risk getting into an accident if you jam on the brakes when another car is right behind you.
Examples of slam/jam on the brakes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tammy then nearly drives into a tree, starting to panic after having to slam on the brakes at the last minute.
—
Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Purvis muses that a system like this might allow motorcycles to start running their own AEB systems, which could slam on the brakes when deemed necessary without fear of sending the rider on a surprise excursion over the handlebars.
—New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2024
Diaz said a motorist on a cross street had cruised through a stop sign, forcing Diaz to slam on the brakes to avoid a crash.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2024
Suddenly, a Mercedes-Benz SUV stopped in front of him, forcing him to slam on the brakes.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The randomness of where the ball might end up forced the players to slam on the brakes or speed up at a high rate.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Opponents contend the slow-growth measure would slam on the brakes, just as the city is overcoming decades of construction inertia.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2023
The vehicle could not anticipate the actions of jaywalkers or slam on the brakes, according to the report.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 28 July 2023
Several drivers have had to slam on the brakes to prevent the car from hitting people in crosswalks, videos appear to show.
—Matt McFarland, CNN, 3 Nov. 2021
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.
Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Purvis muses that a system like this might allow motorcycles to start running their own AEB systems, which could slam on the brakes when deemed necessary without fear of sending the rider on a surprise excursion over the handlebars.
—New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2024
Diaz said a motorist on a cross street had cruised through a stop sign, forcing Diaz to slam on the brakes to avoid a crash.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2024
Suddenly, a Mercedes-Benz SUV stopped in front of him, forcing him to slam on the brakes.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The randomness of where the ball might end up forced the players to slam on the brakes or speed up at a high rate.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Opponents contend the slow-growth measure would slam on the brakes, just as the city is overcoming decades of construction inertia.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2023
The vehicle could not anticipate the actions of jaywalkers or slam on the brakes, according to the report.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 28 July 2023
Several drivers have had to slam on the brakes to prevent the car from hitting people in crosswalks, videos appear to show.
—Matt McFarland, CNN, 3 Nov. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near slam/jam on the brakes
Cite this Entry
“Slam/jam on the brakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slam%2Fjam%20on%20the%20brakes. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share