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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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Vocabulary lists containing suspend

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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

She explained that while the custody threshold had been crossed, she had decided to suspend any custodial sentence.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Under India's food safety laws, businesses are usually given time to fix violations before regulators suspend or cancel their licences.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Negotiations between the two sides broke down late last month after days of meetings in Washington, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney saying he decided to suspend the trade talks.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

The day before, Hahn sent a letter asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to suspend or revoke the permit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

His legs whirligigged like blades, then they clamped around the pole, and he held up his hands to suspend himself like Spiderman.

From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia

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

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

“The invocation of national security is not a magic incantation that suspends the rule of law,” they added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

The agreement only explicitly suspends Iranian tolls for the 60-day duration and calls for Iran and Oman to “conduct dialogue” about strait management alongside other Persian Gulf states and “in line with applicable international law.”

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

It suspends us in that mutable realm, placing us—restlessly, almost hypnotically—in the ever-moving present.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

This flask he then suspends from his kitchen roof above the itaka frame or hanging-shelf that in almost all kitchens is placed above the fire-hearth.

From Fetichism in West Africa Forty Years' Observations of Native Customs and Superstitions by Robert Hamill Nassau

Authorities have also called for hunting in the affected area to be suspended until the extent of the disease and associated risks are established.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Sacoolas admitted causing death by careless driving at a virtual court hearing in December 2022 and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for a year.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

For their loved ones, it’s a pain that seems suspended in time, like a broken clock.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

Some coral species with fast-growing branches are planted onto "coral trees" that look like old television antennas and are suspended in the water column, with floats to keep them upright.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

The Cards of Deadly Fate had dulled her senses, erasing the edges of memories while she’d been suspended between life and death.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

The following day, the State Department said it was suspending visitor visas for people from Gaza while it reviewed the process used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

The Swans were praised for their swift action in suspending the players, although initial comments from chief executive Matthew Pavlich also drew criticism.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The company added that suspending a store is a "precautionary measure" to prevent further alerts while staff undergo additional training.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

It said it was considering suspending operations if the attacks continued.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

He rode slowly along the stone wall, suspending judgment.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

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