hit the brakes

hit the brakes

1. To quickly engage a vehicle's brakes to slow down or stop. He hit the brakes when he saw the child running into the street.

2. By extension, to slow down or stop something one is doing. We had to hit the brakes on development when we found out the investors were pulling out.

See also: brake, hit

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

hit the brakes

 

1. Lit. to step on a vehicle's brakes hard and fast. I came around the curve too fast and had to hit the brakes immediately.

2. Fig. to stop [something]. The project seemed to be getting nowhere so we hit the brakes before too much more money was spent.

See also: brake, hit

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