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
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
In the latest development, on June 27, 2025, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a supplementary award in favor of Pakistan, arguing that India’s holding of the treaty in abeyance did not affect its jurisdiction over the case.
—Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 16 July 2025
The bar will close for 30 days, permanently surrender its 4 a.m. license, and pay a $10,000 fine, with an additional $31,000 held in abeyance.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abeyance
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
In the latest development, on June 27, 2025, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a supplementary award in favor of Pakistan, arguing that India’s holding of the treaty in abeyance did not affect its jurisdiction over the case.
—Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 16 July 2025
The bar will close for 30 days, permanently surrender its 4 a.m. license, and pay a $10,000 fine, with an additional $31,000 held in abeyance.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for abeyance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abeyance
Noun
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The legal basis for keeping the suspension in place is itself now being questioned, and new court challenges are anticipated.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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Both Marchment and Cooke had been suspended regularly at the time, piling up more than a half dozen suspensions.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Close-ups on framed photographs depicting Devora’s younger, more graceful self offer less a sense of history than ambient suspense.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2026
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In contrast to those comedy elements, Patrick Stump’s original score takes a useful straight-suspense approach.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abeyance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abeyance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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