to come to a halt

Examples

• All

• When the music ended, the dancers came to a halt on the stage.

• As Pullman all but monopolized passenger railcar operations, train traffic virtually came to a halt across the country.

  Academic text (2009)

• Life as we know it came to a halt.

  Apocalypse of Ice (2020)

• Within seconds, a taxi came to a halt in front of her.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Could all conversations please come to a halt?

  Clueless (1995)

• The construction industry came to a halt, and builders went out of business.

  Academic text (1993)

• At the top of the hill, Brother Rod came to a halt.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Conflict between the natives and the Spanish came to a halt.

  Lady of Guadalupe (2020)

• Finally, the passenger door rolls into sight and the limo comes to a halt.

  Fiction book (1994)

• When AIFLD's policy-oriented funding came to a halt, conservative unions were especially hurt.

  Academic text (2002)

Synonyms

E

to end

vsto come to a halt

∞ 1.0

To stop something or make it finish

is about stopping motion or progress rather than concluding broadly

C

to cease

vsto come to a halt

324 3.6

To stop or come to an end

focuses on physical stopping of movement or progress specifically

H

to halt

vsto come to a halt

206 2.4

To stop moving or make something stop moving

is about stopping by itself rather than causing it

T

to terminate

vsto come to a halt

147 4.6

To make something stop or finish

is used for stopping itself rather than intentionally ending things

D

to discontinue

vsto come to a halt

58 4.2

To stop something that is happening or being given

refers to stopping movement or progress rather than ending services

B

to break off

vsto come to a halt

50 3.2

To stop something suddenly before it is finished, for example a talk or relationship

refers to stopping movement or progress generally rather than sudden interruptions

C

to come to a close

vsto come to a halt

22 3.5

To end, often after a meeting or event

is about stopping movement or progress not only ending events

S

to stop dead

vsto come to a halt

• Informal

12 3.9

To suddenly become completely still because you are surprised

is used more generally and does not imply sudden emotional cause

G

to grind to a halt

vsto come to a halt

10 5.8

Slow down until it stops moving or working

describes stopping without implying a slow reduction first

H

to hit a dead end

vsto come to a halt

8 4.6

Reach a point where you cannot continue

describes stopping itself rather than being unable to continue further

S

to stop cold

vsto come to a halt

• Informal

3 5.2

Freeze and stay completely still because of surprise or fear

does not require sudden shock and applies in more situations

Antonyms

K

to keep going

357 1.6

To continue doing something without stopping

A

to accelerate

• Specialized

331 3.7

To move faster or make something happen faster

How Stopped

to come to a halt

• Informal

13 3.4

to slow down

687 1.4

to keep going

357 1.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology