grind to a halt
phrase
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
Several have commented on improved performance since the new developers took charge, with improved frame rates and the ability to load bigger cities without the simulation grinding to a halt.
—
Barry Collins,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
Any interesting chemical reactions enclosed there would eat through the raw materials and grind to a halt.
—
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
The ceasefire prompted a surge in crude shipments through the vital waterway where traffic had largely ground to a halt during the conflict, sending oil prices sharply lower.
—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
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.
Barry Collins,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
Any interesting chemical reactions enclosed there would eat through the raw materials and grind to a halt.
—
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
The ceasefire prompted a surge in crude shipments through the vital waterway where traffic had largely ground to a halt during the conflict, sending oil prices sharply lower.
—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
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 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
