bring to a standstill

bring (someone or something) to a standstill

To cause a person or thing to stop. The speeding police car, with its flashing lights and siren, brought all the other drivers to a standstill. A sudden reduction in funding brought our research to a standstill. A: "What happened?" B: "The printer got jammed and brought the mailing to standstill."

See also: bring, standstill, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bring something to a standstill

to cause a process or a job to reach a point at which it must stop. The accident brought the work to a standstill. The strike brought construction to a standstill.

See also: bring, standstill, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.