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
Ticket sales nearly ground to a halt without any new releases, as well as the misfortune of the spooky holiday landing on Friday (meaning families were trick-or-treating, not visiting their local movie theater).
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Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has ground to a halt as major border crossings remain closed.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
Businesses lose access to vital services, communication stalls, and productivity grinds to a halt.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
That’s because without rare earth minerals, the American economy would grind to a halt.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grind to a halt
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Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has ground to a halt as major border crossings remain closed.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
Businesses lose access to vital services, communication stalls, and productivity grinds to a halt.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
That’s because without rare earth minerals, the American economy would grind to a halt.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 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 7 Nov. 2025.
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