put the brakes on

present singular third person puts the brakes on · participle present putting the brakes on · alternative put on the brakes

1. idiomatictransitiveTo stop (an event, action, or process) or to slow it down.

   A French court on Tuesday put the brakes on the merger of the utilities Gaz de France and Suez.

   2008 January 22, “French court puts brakes on merger of Gaz de France and Suez”, in New York Times, retrieved 31 May 2015

   3 more examples

   "[T]he fight I saw that day made the others look like a young ladies' quadrille. . . . [Y]ou could no more separate them two than you could put the brakes on a blame earthquake."

   1903, Frank Norris, “Two Hearts That Beat as One”, in A Deal in Wheat and Other Stories of the New and Old West

   Having put the brakes on credit expansion by raising interest rates, Humphrey last week decided the time had come to step on the gas.

   1953 July 6, “The Economy: Loosening Up the Pinch”, in Time, retrieved 31 May 2015

   With Jones and Botterman hoovering up penalties at the breakdown, Ward and Maud Muir putting the brakes on France's rolling maul and Cokyane waving off her opposite number after getting the better of a scrum, England were winning plenty of battles.

   2025 September 20, Mike Henson, “Kildunne stars as England see off France to make final”, in BBC Sport

2. idiomaticintransitiveTo cease to perform one's current activity or to decrease one's level of activity.

   "It would have been so easy for him to have the kids rolling on the floor, doubled up with laughter. So he had to put the brakes on at times."

   1989 July, Nancy Griffin, “Poetry Man: Robin Williams and Dead Poets Society”, in Premiere Magazine, retrieved 31 May 2015

   1 more example

   “I think it calls on us here in the U.S., naturally, not to stop building nuclear power plants but to put the brakes on right now until we understand the ramifications of what’s happened in Japan,” Senator Joseph I. Lieberman . . . said.

   2011 March 13, John M. Broder, “U.S. Nuclear Industry Faces New Uncertainty”, in New York Times, retrieved 31 May 2015

   Synonyms: rein in