stop dead in one's tracks , auch: stop dead
halt dead in one's tracks
stop in one's tracks
freeze in one's tracks

The voice from the door made them both stop dead.

At the same moment the big man saw them and stopped dead.

She put out her hand to the door, and stopped dead.

He was on his feet so suddenly that she stopped dead.

The man stopped dead and started to bring his hand up.

But he stopped dead at the sound of something large and heavy following him.

The man had simply stopped dead in the middle of the street.

He opened the door, took one step forward, and then stopped dead.

It stopped dead in space, which was the main idea.

The two men stopped dead and looked at each other.