suspend

verb

sus·pend sə-ˈspend

suspended; suspending; suspends

Synonyms of suspend next

transitive verb

: to debar temporarily especially from a privilege, office, or function

suspend a student from school

: to cause to stop temporarily

suspend bus service

: to set aside or make temporarily inoperative

suspend the rules

: to defer to a later time on specified conditions

suspend sentence

: to hold in an undetermined or undecided state awaiting further information

suspend judgment

suspend disbelief

: hang

especially : to hang so as to be free on all sides except at the point of support

suspend a ball by a thread

: to keep from falling or sinking by some invisible support (such as buoyancy)

dust suspended in the air

: to put or hold in suspension

suspended sediment

: to keep fixed or lost (as in wonder or contemplation)

: to keep waiting in suspense or indecision

: to hold (a musical note) over into the following chord

intransitive verb

: to cease operation temporarily

: to stop payment or fail to meet obligations

: 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.

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

As the mixture is cooled in a mold, the gelatin proteins form a mesh-like network that traps liquid and suspends the other ingredients. —

Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2024 In August, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice suspended X, formerly Twitter, throughout the country and temporarily froze Starlink's accounts after Musk refused to name a legal representative in Brazil. —

Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 The officials also expressed concern that the Israeli commitments will not be relevant once the Trump administration assumes office, given the diminished threat of the U.S. suspending military assistance. —

Barak Ravid, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024 Direct routes to dozens of major cities — Washington D.C., San Francisco, Toronto, Hong Kong, New Delhi — have been suspended, reducing face-to-face business meetings as well as cargo reliant on passenger flights. —

Galit Altstein, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for suspend

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

See more words from the same century

Articles Related to suspend

Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week -...

The words that defined the week ending December 3rd, 2021

The Words of the Week - 6/25/21

The words that defined the week ending June 25th, 2021

The Words of the Week - 4/10/20

Some of the words that defined the week of April 10, 2020

Cite this Entry

Style

“Suspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suspend. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

suspend

verb

sus·pend sə-ˈspend

: to force to give up some right or position for a time

suspend a student from school

: to stop or do away with for a time

suspend bus service

: to put off on certain conditions

suspend a lawbreaker's sentence

: to hang so as to be free on all sides except at the point of support

: to keep from falling or sinking by some invisible support

dust suspended in the air

: to put or hold in suspension

suspended sediment

Legal Definition

suspend

transitive verb

sus·pend

: to debar temporarily from a privilege, office, or function

: to stop temporarily

suspend trading

: to make temporarily ineffective

suspend a license

: stay

suspend a hearing

: to defer until a later time see also suspended sentence at sentence

Last Updated: 28 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

scintilla

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

suspend

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Examples of suspend in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near suspend

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition