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
But in the Nineties, as Asia suffered its financial crash, Filipino officials rebooted it—and not only because the country’s courts had ground to a halt.
—
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Travel by road will be treacherous, while air travel nearly ground to a halt on Sunday.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
The car grinds to a halt just inches away from the child.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
At a moment when Haiti’s tourism continues to grind to a halt, the country is facing another setback.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grind to a halt
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Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Travel by road will be treacherous, while air travel nearly ground to a halt on Sunday.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
The car grinds to a halt just inches away from the child.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
At a moment when Haiti’s tourism continues to grind to a halt, the country is facing another setback.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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