suspend

verb

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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 His decision in the spring to force health-care providers to suspend abortions during the coronavirus pandemic riled many women’s health advocates. — Washington Post, "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused of bribery and abusing his office by 7 top aides," 5 Oct. 2020 Elections officials should suspend plans to help voters in nursing homes and hospitals cast ballots through video calls, Gov. Doug Ducey said in a letter to Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, "Fenway voting, teachers staying home, private school boom: News from around our 50 states," 24 Sep. 2020 Arizona elections officials should suspend plans to help voters in nursing homes and hospitals cast ballots through video calls, Gov. Doug Ducey said in a letter to Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. — Rachel Leingang, The Arizona Republic, "Ducey objects to plan to let some Arizonans in hospitals and nursing homes cast ballots via video call," 23 Sep. 2020 Cardrooms were forced to suspend indoor operations on July 1, Gov. Newsom said during his press conference that day, but some have since reopened outdoors. — Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Former Harrah’s manager files whistleblower lawsuit against Caesar Enterprise Services," 9 Sep. 2020 Less than an hour later, Baldwin County Schools superintendent Eddie Tyler said Orange Beach, a first-year program, would suspend its practice for at least this week. — Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, "2 more HS football programs in Baldwin County suspend practice, forfeit games," 1 Sep. 2020 Both companies had said they would be forced to suspend operations in California as soon as Friday if the lower-court judgment weren’t paused. ... — Preetika Rana, WSJ, "Lyft, Uber Get More Time As They Fight California Order," 20 Aug. 2020 Uber joined Lyft in asking an appeals court for an extended reprieve on converting California drivers to employees after both companies warned that a rapid overhaul of their business models may force them to suspend operations in their home state. — BostonGlobe.com, "Tango, Gilead bolster joint effort on cancer therapies," 17 Aug. 2020 The spread of the coronavirus pandemic that forced the NBA to suspend play three-plus months ago will be the league’s biggest focus in attempting to restart, and finish, the 2019-20 season this summer. — Callie Caplan, Dallas News, "As NBA restart nears, Mavs leaders vow to continue conversations and pushes for racial justice," 1 July 2020

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.