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
In an effort to jump-start an economy that had ground to a halt during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve brought borrowing rates down to near-zero.
—
Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 29 July 2025
But with staff taking buyouts and operations grinding to a halt, that clarity is nowhere in sight.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Another Charlotte office building has switched hands, perhaps signaling a trend towards investor interest in existing space as office construction has ground to a halt.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2025
Late Monday evening, business on that panel ground to a halt when the Republicans on the committee abruptly recessed proceedings rather than risk more proposals from Democrats pushing them to release Epstein files.
—Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 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.
Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 29 July 2025
But with staff taking buyouts and operations grinding to a halt, that clarity is nowhere in sight.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Another Charlotte office building has switched hands, perhaps signaling a trend towards investor interest in existing space as office construction has ground to a halt.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2025
Late Monday evening, business on that panel ground to a halt when the Republicans on the committee abruptly recessed proceedings rather than risk more proposals from Democrats pushing them to release Epstein files.
—Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 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 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share