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

The Mexican government said the country’s tomato growers face more than $350 million a year in losses from U.S. anti-dumping duties on their exports as the U.S. Commerce Department terminated an agreement that had suspended the duties since 1996. — Anthony Harrup, WSJ, "U.S. to Impose Duties on Mexican Tomatoes," 7 May 2019 Fallout has already included Major League Baseball indefinitely suspending a promotion with Papa John's that offered people discounts at the pizza chain after a player hit a grand slam. — Candice Choi, USA TODAY, "Papa John's to pull founder John Schnatter's image from marketing over racial slur," 13 July 2018 Up until 2012, when the council suspended the administration of the act because of litigation, a spokeswoman said, the organization helped to trace 555 artists or their heirs and distributed $256,144 to them since 1977. — Amanda Svachula, New York Times, "California Tried to Give Artists a Cut. But the Judges Said No.," 11 July 2018 Prosecutions of single migrant adults caught crossing the border for the first time in and around Del Rio, Texas, were suspended in February amid lack of jail space, said a U.S. Border Patrol official. — Alicia A. Caldwell, WSJ, "Border Patrol Stops Prosecuting First-Time Border Crossers in Texas Region," 28 Mar. 2019 In the past, women have gotten fired from their jobs for wearing natural styles and young girls have been suspended from school. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "Kelly Rowland's New Music Video Shatters Beauty Standards," 6 Feb. 2019 The gas, which is actually suspended particles of nerve agent, causes the civilians it is used upon to choke, experience burning sensations, and, in some cases, causes (hopefully temporary) blindness. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "If You're Defending Tear Gassing Children, You're a Horrible Person," 28 Nov. 2018 Rescue operations were temporarily suspended due to weather conditions, municipal firefighters’ spokesman Cecilio Chacaj said. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Guatemala volcano eruption kills at least 65, forces thousands to evacuate," 2 Oct. 2018 The company said Ragin has been suspended until a full investigation by Atlanta police and an internal ABM review have been completed. — Campbell Lutz, ajc, "NFL veteran ‘Pacman’ Jones assaulted at Atlanta airport, police say," 12 July 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.