hit the brakes

VERB

slow

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abate curb curtail decelerate decrease diminish hinder impede lag lessen moderate reduce relax retard slacken stall temper

STRONG

brake check choke detain loiter mire postpone procrastinate qualify quiet reef regulate stunt

WEAK

anchor it back-water bog down cut back cut down ease off ease up embog hold back hold up keep waiting let down flaps lose speed lose steam reduce speed rein in set back wind down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advance agitate aid allow assist develop encourage enlarge excite expand extend facilitate forward further grow help increase lengthen prolong push raise strengthen

STRONG

accelerate do expedite liberate release

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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hit the brakes

The company said the vehicle had hit the brakes, reducing the car’s speed from 17 mph to 6 mph at the time of impact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

Now, almost as quickly as the row accelerated, President Trump has hit the brakes.

From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2026

A fundraiser aimed at keeping Mickey Rourke housed has hit the brakes temporarily after the Oscar-nominated actor rejected more than $100,000 from fans and supporters earlier this week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026

Wild trading in metals markets Monday hit the brakes on a torrid year-end rally, sending silver futures to their steepest one-day decline in almost five years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025

The engineer had hit the brakes that hard.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

hit the brakes

Example Sentences

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