put the brakes on
Speech parts
1. put the brakes on - Verb
2. put the brakes on - Phrase
Meaning
(idiomatic, transitive) To stop (an event, action, or process) or to slow it down.
(idiomatic, intransitive) To cease to perform one's current activity or to decrease one's level of activity.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgSynonyms
Antonyms
Show all antonymsExamples
A lack of clarity could put the brakes on any journey to success.
For a while I was collecting Satan and devil stuff - you know, anything that had to do with old Beelzebub or Lucifer. But I had to put the brakes on it, because there's a lot of stuff out there, and the collection was just growing too quickly.
When I sing for myself, I sing in a more free, athletic way. When I face an audience, there is always some fear that makes me put the brakes on a bit.
In order to spur economic growth we need to put the brakes on out of control spending, lower Ohioans tax burden and create a most efficient and effective government.
We all want to put the brakes on the arms race...we all want to achieve arms control...but to those who say we must take risks for peace by cutting the meat from our military muscle, I say you are unwittingly risking war.
When we don't put the brakes on our self-absorption, we have nothing stopping us from total self-destruction. We become the fruits of our actions.