From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstop/halt (dead) in your tracksstop/halt (dead) in your tracksSTOP MOVINGto suddenly stop, especially because something has frightened or surprised you → track
Examples from the Corpus
stop/halt (dead) in your tracks• It had been stopped in its tracks by the Railway Inspectorate and a public outcry.• The people had stopped in their tracks, women were making their children stand behind them.• I stopped dead in my tracks, unsure of what to do next.• People stop in their tracks and stare.• Petey stopped dead in his tracks at the question.• Blue speaks her name, in a voice that seems strange to him, and she stops dead in her tracks.• A dreadful thought struck Jean, and she stopped in her tracks, right in the middle of the pavement.• An hour later they were halted in their tracks by a cataract not marked on the map. 