suspend

sus·pend

verb \sə-ˈspend\

Definition of SUSPEND

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 (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

Examples of SUSPEND

1. He was suspended from the team for missing too many practices.
2. The police officers were suspended without pay for their conduct.
3. The principal suspended the student from school for fighting.
4. The city suspended bus service during the storm.
5. The company was forced to suspend operations.
6. They have suspended the peace talks.
7. I advise suspending judgment until the investigation is over.
8. Her license to practice law was suspended.
9. We can suspend the rules just this once.
10. He's driving with a suspended license.

Origin of SUSPEND

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SUSPEND

Synonyms

prorogate, prorogue, recess, adjourn

Related Words

break off, disband, discontinue, disperse, intermit, interrupt; defer, hold off, postpone, put off, reserve, shelve, table; dissolve, end, halt, stop, terminate; break up, close, conclude, wind up, wrap up; abort, call, call off, drop, recall, repeal, rescind, revoke; abrogate, annul, invalidate, negate, nullify, quash, void

Near Antonyms

inaugurate, launch, open; carry on, continue, draw out, extend, proceed, prolong; renew, reopen, resume; assemble, call, convene, convoke, muster, rally, summon

See Synonym Discussion at defer

Rhymes with SUSPEND

addend, amend, append, ascend, attend, bartend, befriend, Big Bend, bookend, boyfriend, closed-end, commend, compend, contend, dead end, dead-end, defend, depend, descend, distend, downtrend, emend, expend, extend, fag end, forfend, front-end, girlfriend, Gravesend, headend, high-end, hornblende, impend, intend, Land's End, loose end, low-end, missend, misspend, next friend, no end, offend, on end, Ostend, outspend, perpend, pitchblende, portend, pretend, propend, protend, rear-end, resend, sheet bend, South Bend, split end, stipend, subtend, tag end, tail end, tight end, top-end, transcend, unbend, unkenned, upend, uptrend, weekend, year-end