From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishput the brakes on somethingput the brakes on somethingSTOP something THAT IS HAPPENINGto stop something that is happening → brake
Examples from the Corpus
put the brakes on something• He managed to touch-down at the threshold and put the brakes on.• It's the government's latest effort to put the brakes on rising prices.• The Communists have climbed on the bandwagon, but only to put the brakes on.• There are indications, however, that the government is now trying to put the brakes on further expansion.• If Peres and Labor are defeated, the Likud Party has vowed to put the brakes on the peace movement.• Laid crops and unsettled weather put the brakes on harvest for many growers this week.• Those cars with all those springs that rock back and forwards like a see-saw when you put the brakes on. 