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to bring something to a grinding halt
01
to cause something to suddenly and completely stop, often in a dramatic or unexpected manner
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IdiomWhat is the origin of the idiom "bring to a grinding halt" and when to use it?
The idiom "bring to a grinding halt" originated from the world of machinery, where "grinding" refers to the process of removing material by rubbing it against a hard surface. It can be used to describe a range of scenarios, such as when a business or economy suffers a major downturn, when a project or plan fails, or when a person's life takes an unexpected turn for the worse.
Example
The accident on the highway brought traffic to a grinding halt this morning.
The pandemic has brought the tourism industry to a grinding halt in many countries.
By the time they realized the extent of the problem, the malfunction had brought the entire system to a grinding halt.
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