suspend

verb

sus·​pend sə-ˈspend How to pronounce suspend (audio)
suspended; suspending; suspends
Synonyms of suspendnext

transitive verb

1
: to debar temporarily especially from a privilege, office, or function
suspend a student from school
2
a
: to cause to stop temporarily
suspend bus service
b
: to set aside or make temporarily inoperative
suspend the rules
3
: to defer to a later time on specified conditions
suspend sentence
4
: to hold in an undetermined or undecided state awaiting further information
suspend judgment
suspend disbelief
5
a
: hang
especially : to hang so as to be free on all sides except at the point of support
suspend a ball by a thread
b
: to keep from falling or sinking by some invisible support (such as buoyancy)
dust suspended in the air
c
: to put or hold in suspension
suspended sediment
6
a
: to keep fixed or lost (as in wonder or contemplation)
b
: to keep waiting in suspense or indecision
7
: to hold (a musical note) over into the following chord

intransitive verb

1
: to cease operation temporarily
2
: to stop payment or fail to meet obligations
3
: hang

Did you know?

When something is suspended, it is "left hanging;" it is neither in full operation nor permanently ended. Suspense is a state of uncertainty and maybe anxiety. When we watch a play or movie, we enjoy experiencing a "suspension of disbelief;" that is, we allow ourselves to believe we're watching reality, even though we aren't truly fooled.Suspension can also mean physical hanging; thus, in a suspension bridge, the roadway actually hangs from huge cables. When some substance is "in suspension", its particles are "hanging" in another substance, mixed into it but not actually dissolved, like fine sand in water, or sea spray in the air at the seashore.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for suspend

defer, postpone, suspend, stay mean to delay an action or proceeding.

defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

Examples of suspend in a Sentence

He was suspended from the team for missing too many practices. The police officers were suspended without pay for their conduct. The principal suspended the student from school for fighting. The city suspended bus service during the storm. The company was forced to suspend operations. They have suspended the peace talks. I advise suspending judgment until the investigation is over. Her license to practice law was suspended. We can suspend the rules just this once. He's driving with a suspended license.
Recent Examples on the Web Spirit Airlines, the only major U.S. carrier that flies into both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, has suspended flights into both airports until further notice. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2024 Dorsey was sentenced to 40 years, with 15 of those suspended, according to online court records. —Jade Thomas, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024 The group said its operations, which were paused after the attack, remain suspended. —Lior Soroka, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024 The aid organization’s operations — which have distributed millions of meals to Gazans — remained suspended, the group said. —Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024 Methylene chloride has long been commonly used in the decaf industry, but some companies have added alternative methods to their toolbox or suspended use entirely. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024 Along with small tubes and jigs, small, suspending minnow baits also work great on early-season crappie. —Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024 A couple of times, the child was formally suspended, Gomes said. —Sarah Butrymowicz, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024 Now, with time running out for the ACP, the FCC has been forced to begin shutting down the program — halting new signups and warning users their benefits are about to be suspended. —Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suspend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French suspendre, from Latin suspendere, from sub-, sus- up + pendere to cause to hang, weigh

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of suspend was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing suspend

Dictionary Entries Near suspend

suspecter

suspend

suspend between

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Suspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suspend. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

suspend

verb
sus·​pend sə-ˈspend How to pronounce suspend (audio)
1
: to force to give up some right or position for a time
suspend a student from school
2
a
: to stop or do away with for a time
suspend bus service
b
: to put off on certain conditions
suspend a lawbreaker's sentence
3
a
: to hang so as to be free on all sides except at the point of support
b
: to keep from falling or sinking by some invisible support
dust suspended in the air
c
: to put or hold in suspension
suspended sediment

Legal Definition

suspend

transitive verb
sus·​pend
1
: to debar temporarily from a privilege, office, or function
2
a
: to stop temporarily
suspend trading
b
: to make temporarily ineffective
suspend a license
c
: stay
suspend a hearing
d
: to defer until a later time see also suspended sentence at sentence

More from Merriam-Webster on suspend

Nglish: Translation of suspend for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of suspend for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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