as in suspension
a state of temporary inactivity
our weekend plans were held in abeyance until we could get a weather forecast
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Recent Examples of abeyance
Or $158 million for gun violence prevention programs and $800 million to prevent violent crime, money the administration has held in abeyance.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
On the trade front, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Busan for a summit which saw tariffs trimmed, soybeans purchases promised, and rare earth controls put in abeyance for a year, with some sketchy deal details — tricks up the sleeves of the two economic giants?
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Carroll requested during Wednesday’s meeting that the board either reject the charges or hold them in abeyance until the litigation between The Trap and the city is resolved.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025
That threat was only held in abeyance by his signature; the commission needed to ratify it to fully spike the governor’s guns.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abeyance
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
On the trade front, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Busan for a summit which saw tariffs trimmed, soybeans purchases promised, and rare earth controls put in abeyance for a year, with some sketchy deal details — tricks up the sleeves of the two economic giants?
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Carroll requested during Wednesday’s meeting that the board either reject the charges or hold them in abeyance until the litigation between The Trap and the city is resolved.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025
That threat was only held in abeyance by his signature; the commission needed to ratify it to fully spike the governor’s guns.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abeyance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abeyance
Noun
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However, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the veteran bench boss who took over in Vegas with just eight games left in the regular season was mad about the suspension of defenseman Brayden McNabb.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Weighing in at around 220 pounds, its eyes dotted around the room as its legs dangled in suspension.—
Martine Paris,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Who is murdered, why and Clare’s entanglement in the whole deal unfold over the remainder of the novel, featuring much tighter and more plausible plotting than your average suspense story.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
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The project highlights growing international interest in elevated Latin American genre cinema blending political commentary, suspense, violence and social critique.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abeyance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abeyance. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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