When something such as growth, development, or activity halts or when you halt it, it stops completely. Striking workers halted production at the auto plant yesterday The flow of assistance to Vietnam's fragile economy from its ideological allies has virtually halted
stopping the horse When leading the horse, do not stop until the horse does The verbal signal is a confident, drawn-out "Whooooa", not "Whoa!"
the state of inactivity following an interruption; "the negotiations were in arrest"; "held them in check"; "during the halt he got some lunch"; "the momentary stay enabled him to escape the blow"; "he spent the entire stop in his seat"