grind to a halt

Idioms  

1. Also, come to a grinding halt. Gradually come to a standstill or end. For example, Once the funding stopped, the refurbishing project ground to a halt, or She's come to a grinding halt with that book she's writing. This expression alludes to a clogged engine that gradually stops or a ship that runs aground.

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Example Sentences

Without them, our technological world grinds to a halt.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It would cause local government decisions to grind to a halt," she said.

From BBC

Without those exemptions, fuels-reduction projects that protect wolverine habitat from catastrophic fire would grind to a halt, directly threatening the species.

From The Wall Street Journal

While some UPS Store locations will be open, the carrier’s Domestic Ground, Air, and International shipping services will grind to a halt on the holiday.

From Barron's

“I don’t know who—” My words grind to a halt.

From Literature