What 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.