screeched to a halt• Not ten minutes had elapsed when the first vanarrived and not eleven when the second screeched to a halt.• The driverslammed on the brakes; the Jeepscreeched to a halt.• The lights changed and the cars grudgingly screeched to a halt.• As the car screeched to a halt, Joe's body slid from the bonnet on to the road.• We sped from the car parkundetected and screeched to a haltoutside the flowershop, as instructed.• A few minutes later a police jeep screeched to a halt outside.• A police car emerged from the other alleyway and screeched to a halt ten yards in front of Whitlock, blocking his shot.
Originscreech
(1500-1600)scritch“to screech”((13-20 centuries)), from the sound