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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Still one of the top players in the game, however, his numbers at the plate have declined since his return from an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in 2022.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Maybe the three-month suspension Sinner served over a doping dispute this year had left him fresh for this French Open.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Susan Walter is the author of five novels of suspense: Lie by the Pool, Good as Dead, Over Her Dead Body, Letters from Strangers,, and Running Cold.—
Susan Walter
June 6,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
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While the premise could result in an overly dour or preachy book, Nguyen's novel zips forward with page-turning suspense, humor, and nuance.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abeyance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abeyance. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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