in limbo

1. In a condition of oblivion or neglect, as in They kept her application in limbo for months . [Early 1600s]

2. An intermediate or transitional state, as in After his editor left the firm, his book was in limbo . [Early 1600s] Both usages allude to the theological meaning of limbo , that is, a place outside hell and heaven to which unbaptized infants and the righteous who died before Christ's coming were traditionally consigned.

Example Sentences

The uncertainty has left JPL’s future in limbo while it awaits an answer, top officials said.

From Los Angeles Times

I think that when Justice Todd Eddins of the Hawaii Supreme Court says, in so many words, that John Roberts and his comrades are a bunch of clowns in robes, that makes room for Judge James Wynn on the 4th Circuit to say that the Supreme Court is leaving him “flailing” in “limbo.”

From Slate

The fire survivors are in limbo, still, with no idea how many years of upheaval they’re in for.

From Los Angeles Times

That leaves Bulahan and about 180,000 other California property owners in limbo.

From Los Angeles Times

But decades later, their citizenship status remains in limbo.

From BBC