suspend

verb

sus·pend | \ sə-ˈspend

suspended; suspending; suspends

Definition of suspend

transitive verb

1 : to debar temporarily especially from a privilege, office, or function suspend a student from school

2a : 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

5a : 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

6a : 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

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about suspend

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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

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.

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

At the Thomas and Mack Center, the overhead scoreboard, which is suspended from the roof by cables, swayed as players and fans took notice during the Pelicans-Knicks game. — Roy Parry, orlandosentinel.com, "Magic center Mo Bamba returns to court, shines in Summer League opener," 6 July 2019 He is suspended from the IOC, but remains a member and has denied any wrongdoing. — Fox News, "Got a Tokyo Olympics ticket? Unrivaled demand causes turmoil," 5 July 2019 Hensley is suspended without pay, Annie Skinner, a corrections department spokeswoman, said. — Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post, "Male correctional officer at Denver women’s prison arrested for allegedly attempting to pimp women," 5 July 2019 He is suspended from the IOC, but remains a member and has denied any wrongdoing. — Washington Post, "Got a Tokyo Olympics ticket? Unrivaled demand causes turmoil," 4 July 2019 Kansas City, however, could see a ripple effect if wide receiver Tyreek Hill is suspended after facing child abuse allegations this offseason. — Michael Middlehurst-schwartz, USA TODAY, "Offensive fireworks: 5 NFL teams that will be explosive in 2019," 4 July 2019 Highlights include the North Christian Church by Eero Saarinen for its 192-foot spire, Cleo Rogers Memorial Library by I.M. Pei, and the Robert N. Stewart Bridge, which is fully suspended by 40 cables. — Kellie Hwang, Indianapolis Star, "You can get to these 10 unique road trip destinations from Indy in 5 hours or less," 3 July 2019 All bus service from the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City is suspended. — Janelle Griffith, NBC News, "Truck overturns at Lincoln Tunnel, snarling holiday traffic in New York and New Jersey," 3 July 2019 Karim’s general secretary of the federation, Sayed Ali Reza Aghazada, is suspended for his role in the abuse of women players—yet was somehow just promoted to the AFC’s governing executive committee. — Minky Worden, Quartz, "Women soccer players’ biggest challenge is changing FIFA itself," 28 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suspend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.