Synonyms

suspend

American

[suh-spend] / səˈspɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to hang by attachment to something above.

to suspend a chandelier from the ceiling.
to attach so as to allow free movement.

to suspend a door on a hinge.
to keep from falling, sinking, forming a deposit, etc., as if by hanging.

to suspend solid particles in a liquid.
to hold or keep undetermined; refrain from forming or concluding definitely.

to suspend one's judgment.
to defer or postpone.

to suspend sentence on a convicted person.
to cause to cease or bring to a stop or stay, usually for a time.

to suspend payment.

Synonyms:

discontinue, intermit
to cause to cease for a time from operation or effect, as a law, rule, privilege, service, or the like.

to suspend ferry service.
to debar, usually for a limited time, from the exercise of an office or function or the enjoyment of a privilege.

The student was suspended from school.
to keep in a mood or feeling of expectation or incompleteness; keep waiting in suspense.

Finish the story; don't suspend us in midair.
Music. to prolong (a note or tone) into the next chord.

verb (used without object)

to come to a stop, usually temporarily; cease from operation for a time.
to stop payment; be unable to meet financial obligations.
to hang or be suspended, as from another object.

The chandelier suspends from the ceiling.
to be suspended, as in a liquid, gas, etc.

suspend British

/ səˈspɛnd /

verb

(tr) to hang from above so as to permit free movement
(tr; passive) to cause to remain floating or hanging

a cloud of smoke was suspended over the town
(tr) to render inoperative or cause to cease, esp temporarily

to suspend interest payments
(tr) to hold in abeyance; postpone action on

to suspend a decision
(tr) to debar temporarily from privilege, office, etc, as a punishment
(tr) chem to cause (particles) to be held in suspension in a fluid
(tr) music to continue (a note) until the next chord is sounded, with which it usually forms a dissonance See suspension
(intr) to cease payment, as from incapacity to meet financial obligations
obsolete (tr) to put or keep in a state of anxiety or wonder
obsolete (intr) to be attached from above

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does suspend mean? Suspend most commonly means to cause to stop, to bring to a stop, to withhold, or to postpone, as in The bank has suspended payments or All activities have been suspended until further notice. It also commonly means to hang something by attaching it to something else, especially with ropes or cables, as in We need to suspend the banner from the ceiling. More specifically, suspend can mean to officially punish someone, such as an employee, student, or athlete, so that they are not allowed to participate in an activity for a certain period of time, as in He was suspended for five games for fighting. A person punished in this way is said to be suspended. The noun form suspension can be used for most senses of suspend to refer to an instance or the process of suspending.

Synonym Usage

See interrupt.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of suspend

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English suspenden, from Latin suspendere “to hang up,” equivalent to sus- sus- + pendere (transitive) “to hang” ( see pend, suspense)

Explanation

You can use the verb suspend any time you need to stop something. Whether it’s your judgment, a rule, or bus service, when you suspend it, you temporarily bring it to a halt. Suspend often describes stopping an activity for a while. A winter storm, for example, may suspend air travel until weather conditions improve. Suspend also works in a more figurative sense, such as when you suspend your doubt in order to give someone or something a fair chance. A student who is suspended is temporarily forbidden from attending class. Don't confuse this with expel, which means he or she may never return.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

suspend suspends suspended suspending

“Jaws” is a fantastic film if you can suspend your disbelief about a great white being the menace of the seas.

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026

Two airports in northwestern Florida were scheduled to suspend operations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

FlyDubai said it would suspend flights to and from Israel while the investigation into the incident continues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The Singapore Rowing Association and Singapore Canoe Federation were told the suspend their activities.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

“I am, however, going to suspend you from the bus.”

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

“We hold all suppliers across our global supply chain accountable” to uphold U.S., international and local laws, and Sysco suspends contracts when they do not, said Ramit Plushnick-Masti, a company spokesperson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

The government will instead introduce a new law in the coming weeks that suspends that expansion indefinitely, Fraser said.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

So he suspends her for a match, the last one before Christmas break.

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

Ms. Hochul announced the moratorium Tuesday in an executive order that suspends permitting for data centers while her administration works on a “regulatory framework.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Nothing affords Relief in the Fit, and no other Medicine ever suspends or puts it off.

From Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health by S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David) Tissot

Sean Baker, a driver for GRS Recovery Bournemouth, was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, suspended for one year, at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Petrie was arrested, charged and suspended in December 2023.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The device used cubes of natural uranium suspended in heavy water, a specialized substance that played an essential role in controlling the nuclear reaction.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Presidential spokesman Adrian Ravier said on Tuesday that the law was "suspended" while the government pursued legal action.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Some platforms are suspended from ropes or chains from above.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

On Tuesday, the school announced that it was suspending fraternity parties on campus for the rest of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Plus, Taylor Farms is suspending Mexican iceberg-lettuce imports, and U.S. refiners are on track for surging profits as conflicts send fuel prices higher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

It is also suspending Microsoft, Adobe and six other tech companies from how they sponsor employees who are in the country under a highly skilled worker visa program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

TikTok's settlement with Alabama mirrors safety provisions agreed by Meta, including a two-hour daily time limit for teens, restricted access from midnight to 6:00 am, and suspending notifications during school hours.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

I eased down beside her, suspending my breath at the water’s sting.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023