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 archive numbers some 45,000 lasts, all suspended in rows from floor to ceiling along a mobile shelving system. — Amy Verner, Vogue, "Vogue Got an Exclusive Tour of Chanel’s Ateliers While Tonight’s Métiers d’Art Collection Was Being Made," 5 Dec. 2018 President Donald Trump issued a proclamation in November suspending asylum rights for people who try to cross into the U.S. illegally. — Marko Alvarez, The Seattle Times, "Border patrol: More families cross illegally to San Diego," 4 Dec. 2018 The company’s 4Stox subsidiary had its Barcelona and Antwerp, Belgium facilities suspended in recent weeks. — David Hodari, WSJ, "Louis Dreyfus Suffers Another Coffee-Warehouse Suspension," 28 Nov. 2018 As its name indicates, pepper spray consists of finely ground peppers suspended in alcohol. — Aaron Rupar, Vox, "Fox News downplays pepper spray as akin to a condiment. Again.," 26 Nov. 2018 The resulting hardware included a five-meter wing with a thin body containing the battery and electronics suspended below it before trailing off to a tail. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Ion drive meets drone, as small plane flies with no moving parts," 21 Nov. 2018 Or pinch-and-zoom to see if there's fishing wire suspending them in midair. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "Watch These 'Magical' Brooms Glide On Their Own," 11 Oct. 2018 Fine sediments, suspended in the water, give rivers their muddy hue. — Barbara Fraser, Discover Magazine, "Understanding the Amazon By Digging Into the Ground Beneath It," 28 Sep. 2018 According to the Guardian, other heart-racing tricks on the show have included a man escaping within a short amount of time while suspended upside down in a tank of water and while taking a chainsaw to another man. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "The Illusionists of 'America's Got Talent' Have a Surprisingly Familiar Face In Their Cast," 22 Aug. 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.