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
For one thing, Mexico would consider this act an invasion, and whatever law enforcement cooperation that does exist would grind to a halt.
—
Vanda Felbab-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2025
Asylum has effectively ground to a halt in the past nine months, following an order by President Joe Biden, who set a daily crossing cap that closed applications in June 2024.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
In the three-and-a-half weeks since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, investigations by the agency that handles allegations of civil rights violations in the nation’s schools and colleges have ground to a halt.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 14 Feb. 2025
If the data and tools used to understand complex data are abruptly taken off the internet, the work of scientists, civil society organizations and government officials themselves can grind to a halt.
—Alejandro Paz, The Conversation, 14 Feb. 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.
Vanda Felbab-Brown, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2025
Asylum has effectively ground to a halt in the past nine months, following an order by President Joe Biden, who set a daily crossing cap that closed applications in June 2024.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
In the three-and-a-half weeks since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, investigations by the agency that handles allegations of civil rights violations in the nation’s schools and colleges have ground to a halt.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 14 Feb. 2025
If the data and tools used to understand complex data are abruptly taken off the internet, the work of scientists, civil society organizations and government officials themselves can grind to a halt.
—Alejandro Paz, The Conversation, 14 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for grind to a halt
Dictionary Entries Near 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 23 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share