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

See Examples For:

grind to a halt

Many scenes grind to a halt with the shy girl too terrified to speak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

“The army won’t grind to a halt just because Telegram gets cut off, but there will be problems,” said Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026

As the threat of attacks saw nightlife in the usually party-loving commercial hub grind to a halt, they decided they were not going to let the fun stop.

From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026

Researchers at the University of Southampton have found new evidence that Earth's climate did not completely grind to a halt during its most extreme ice age, a time often called Snowball Earth.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

We make it about twenty feet into the tunnel and grind to a halt.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon