suspend

verb

USsuh-SPEND/səsˈpɛnd/

Formssuspends, suspending, suspended

9 meanings of suspend

Practice

1
verbtransitive
To stop something for a while, with the plan to start it again later.
Like pressing pause on a movie so you can finish watching it later.
Officials decided to suspend the search until daylight.
Heavy snow forced the city to suspend bus service for two days.
Similarhalt, pause, stop, interrupt, postpone
Oppositeresume, continue
Note
2
verbtransitive
To break off something such as a task, job, or event before it is finished.
The website will suspend new sign-ups during the upgrade.
Bad weather suspended the festival halfway through the first day.
Similarhalt, interrupt, stop, pause, freeze
Oppositeresume, restart
3
verbtransitive
To stop someone from doing their job, going to school, or using a right for a time.
Like a time-out, where you have to sit out for a while before you can join again.
The school may suspend students who break the rules.
His boss decided to suspend him without pay for a week.
Similarban, bar
Oppositereinstate, restore
Note
4
verbtransitive
To hang something so it dangles down freely from a fixed point above.
Like a swing hanging from a tree branch.
They suspend bright lanterns from the ceiling for the party.
A heavy chandelier was suspended above the staircase.
Similarhang, dangle, sling
5
verbtransitive
To leave something undecided or on hold for now.
Like keeping a question open instead of answering it right away.
Try to suspend your opinion until you have heard both sides.
The judge chose to suspend a decision until more evidence arrived.
Similarreserve, defer, withhold
Note
6
verbtransitive
To mix a solid powder into a liquid so it floats throughout instead of sinking.
Like shaking cocoa powder into milk so it spreads through the whole glass.
Stir the powder slowly to suspend it evenly in the water.
The mixer suspends fine clay particles in the liquid.
Similardisperse
7
verbtransitive
To keep a powder spread through a liquid by stirring, so a chemical change can happen.
Like stirring a powder that won't dissolve so it keeps moving in the water.
Keep stirring to suspend the catalyst while the reaction runs.
The lab tech suspends the powder by stirring it constantly.
Similardisperse
Note
8
verbtransitive
To cancel the unused part of a plane ticket so the rest of the trip can still be used.
Like removing one unused page from a ticket book while keeping the rest good to use.
The agent will suspend the unused coupon so you can keep flying the later legs.
They suspended the open segment and let her board the next flight.
Similarvoid
Note

Less common meaning

9
verbobsolete
To make one thing rely or depend on another.
Like resting a whole plan on a single yes.
The old scholars would suspend all knowledge upon the evidence of the senses.
God hath all along in the Scripture suspended the promise of eternal life on the condition of obedience and holiness of life.
1671, John Tillotson, The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John TillotsonHere, suspended means made one thing depend on another.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin "suspendere", which came into English through Old French "sospendre".