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

BioLite’s SiteLights are made to be suspended from branches, hooks, or the inside of a tent, offering up to 150 lumens in a lightweight package. — Kraig Becker, Popular Mechanics, "How to Set Up Camp," 2 Apr. 2019 He was suspended from Twitter in 2017 after attacking CNN anchors. — Shelby Holliday, WSJ, "Judge Orders Roger Stone to Avoid Further Comment on Pending Trial," 21 Feb. 2019 Cypress Valley Canopy Tours have dreamy resorts suspended above the ground that take traditional glamping up a notch. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "This Incredible Treehouse and Zip-Lining Resort Takes Glamping to The Next Level," 29 Mar. 2019 Rare peridot from Pakistan suspended from a conical sphere of tsavorites. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "How to See the Next Jewelry Masterpiece," 14 Mar. 2019 If the Dream House vignette didn’t tip you off, then the mountains of miniature cupcakes, suspended mid-air by a bouquet of balloons surely would: Barbie was turning 60, and in her usual fun-loving decadence, the celebration was no small affair. — Zachary Weiss, Vogue, "Yara Shahidi Is a Barbie Girl: The Actress Celebrates the Doll’s 60th Anniversary," 12 Mar. 2019 Under Florida law, the state Senate is required to either remove or reinstate an official suspended by the governor. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "Florida Gov. DeSantis Suspends Broward Sheriff Over Deadly Parkland Shooting," 11 Jan. 2019 Gibbons coached in Wednesday’s 12-point loss to American, and was suspended the next day. — Doug Feinberg, The Seattle Times, "Princeton’s Alarie scores 45, sets Ivy single-game record," 4 Feb. 2019 Reporting harassers rarely leads to any action being taken — and, troublingly, can even lead to the victims’ accounts being suspended. — Lux Alptraum, The Verge, "Trolls’ attempts to report sex workers’ premium Snapchat accounts to the IRS is just the tip of the iceberg," 30 Nov. 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.