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
The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
—
Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Germany officially put conscription into abeyance in 2011.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
Jaguar might have quietly and respectfully slipped into abeyance after years of struggle, as Daimler, Rover, Triumph, and other great British names did.
—Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2025
Arguably financially also well, considering the Warriors were waiting with the extension that Heat President Pat Riley had denied, or at least held in abeyance.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abeyance
Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Germany officially put conscription into abeyance in 2011.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
Jaguar might have quietly and respectfully slipped into abeyance after years of struggle, as Daimler, Rover, Triumph, and other great British names did.
—Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2025
Arguably financially also well, considering the Warriors were waiting with the extension that Heat President Pat Riley had denied, or at least held in abeyance.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abeyance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abeyance
Noun
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Her suspension brings fresh uncertainty to the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been roiled by years of political turbulence and leadership shake-ups.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
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The son has failed drug tests, served suspensions and egregiously missed weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Noun
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There wasn’t much suspense on the top pick this year, but the moment was still memorable based on Schaefer’s tears, as the top pick and his family shared the moment while honoring his mom, Jennifer, who passed away in 2024.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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After several weeks of voting, the suspense is over and the new name for the snake will be announced.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abeyance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abeyance. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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