as in suspension
a state of temporary inactivity
the husband's feeling that their love life was in suspended animation while his wife lavished all her attention on the new baby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of suspended animation
With the economy practically in suspended animation at the start of the pandemic, car sales plummeted.
—
Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2022
One solution long championed by science fiction is suspended animation, or putting humans in a hibernation-like sleep for the duration of travel time.
—CNN, 28 Dec. 2020
With the agreements with Mexico and Central American in suspended animation during the pandemic, Title 42 is necessary stopgap that Biden will come under intense pressure from pro-immigration groups to reverse.
—The Editors, National Review, 15 Nov. 2020
Four days after the election, the U.S. presidential race hovered in suspended animation Saturday as the long, exacting work of counting votes brought Democrat Joe Biden ever closer to a victory over President Donald Trump.
—Staff and Wire Reports, chicagotribune.com, 7 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for suspended animation
Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2022
One solution long championed by science fiction is suspended animation, or putting humans in a hibernation-like sleep for the duration of travel time.
—CNN, 28 Dec. 2020
With the agreements with Mexico and Central American in suspended animation during the pandemic, Title 42 is necessary stopgap that Biden will come under intense pressure from pro-immigration groups to reverse.
—The Editors, National Review, 15 Nov. 2020
Four days after the election, the U.S. presidential race hovered in suspended animation Saturday as the long, exacting work of counting votes brought Democrat Joe Biden ever closer to a victory over President Donald Trump.
—Staff and Wire Reports, chicagotribune.com, 7 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for suspended animation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspended animation
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
“Suspended animation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspended%20animation. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
