suspend

verb sus·pend \ sə-ˈspend \

Updated on: 15 May 2018

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 (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

See suspend defined for English-language learners

See suspend defined for kids

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 of suspend from the Web

The increasing fire danger posed by the high volume of dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region prompted Cal Fire San Diego to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning, effective May 14.

— Ramona Sentinel, "Cal Fire suspends burn permits in county," 11 May 2018
The schedule released by Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, both Democrats, assumes that Republicans will not agree to suspend procedural rules.

— hillary borrud, OregonLive.com, "Oregon lawmakers told to plan on a weeklong special session," 10 May 2018
Predictably enough, there’s been blowback, leading Arizona to suspend its testing program (as has Toyota).

— david roberts, Vox, "Here’s how self-driving cars could catch on," 8 May 2018
Vice President Mike Pence called on Venezuela to suspend its presidential election later this month because of corruption concerns, declaring that the results would be fraudulent.

— justin sink, Bloomberg.com, "Pence Demands That Venezuela Suspend ‘So-Called’ Elections," 7 May 2018
There was an attempt to suspend the delegation’s parliamentary rules in order to vote again and push a candidate into the end zone, but that effort was also unsuccessful.

— joshua stewart, sandiegouniontribune.com, "As vote-by-mail ballots prepare to ship, the state GOP won't endorse a candidate for governor," 6 May 2018
The association wants Scott — a candidate for U.S. Senate — to suspend or remove Israel from his post.

— skyler swisher, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Union pays for I-95 billboard expressing 'no confidence' in Sheriff Scott Israel," 4 May 2018
Ties have been strained since President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital last year, prompting the Palestinians to suspend contacts with the administration.

— NBC News, "Palestinian leader Abbas apologizes for speech condemned as anti-Semitic," 4 May 2018
Electrical explosions in a light tower at Qualcomm Stadium caused the game to be suspended in the third inning.

— tyler kepner, New York Times, "Pitching Again After 3 (Three!) Tommy John Surgeries," 4 May 2018

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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of suspend

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

suspend Synonyms

Synonyms

adjourn, prorogue, recess;

Near Antonyms

inaugurate, launch, open;

carry on, continue, draw out, extend, proceed, prolong;

renew, reopen, resume;

assemble, call, convene, convoke, muster, rally, summon;

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;

Synonym Discussion of 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 under way

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

- the governor stayed the execution

SUSPEND Defined for English Language Learners

suspend

verb

Definition of suspend for English Language Learners

: to force (someone) to leave a job, position, or place for a usually short period of time as a form of punishment
: to stop (something) for a usually short period of time
: to make (something) happen later : to delay (something)

SUSPEND Defined for Kids

suspend

verb sus·pend \ sə-ˈspend \

Definition of suspend for Students

suspended; suspending

1 : to force to give up some right or office for a time

The cheater was suspended from school.

2 : to hang especially so as to be free except at one point

A light bulb was suspended from the ceiling.

3 : to stop or do away with for a time

The principal is suspending a rule.

4 : to stop operation or action for a time

All business suspended during the storm.

Word Root of suspend

The Latin word pendere, meaning “to cause to hang down,” gives us the root pend. Words from the Latin pendere have something to do with hanging. To suspend is to cause something to hang down from a single point. To depend is to hang, or rely, on the support of others. A pendant is an ornament that hangs free, as on a necklace. A pendulum is an object hung from a point that swings freely back and forth, as in a clock.