SUSPEND Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'suspend' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of suspend are defer , postpone , and stay . While all these words mean "to delay an action or proceeding," suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied. // business will be suspended while repairs are underway

Q: When would 'defer' be a good substitute for 'suspend'?

While the synonyms defer and suspend are close in meaning, defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time. // deferred buying a car until spring

Q: When can 'postpone' be used instead of 'suspend'?

Although the words postpone and suspend have much in common, postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time. // the game is postponed until Saturday

Q: When might 'stay' be a better fit than 'suspend'?

The synonyms stay and suspend are sometimes interchangeable, but stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority. // the governor stayed the execution

suspend

verb

sə-ˈspend

Definition of suspend

as in to postpone

to bring to a formal close for a period of time the judge suspended the hearing to give the district attorney more time to process evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to hang

to place on an elevated point without support from below suspended a banner proclaiming the town's "Heritage Days" from the archway

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word suspend distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of suspend are defer, postpone, and stay. While all these words mean "to delay an action or proceeding," suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

When would defer be a good substitute for suspend?

While the synonyms defer and suspend are close in meaning, defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

When can postpone be used instead of suspend?

Although the words postpone and suspend have much in common, postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

When might stay be a better fit than suspend?

The synonyms stay and suspend are sometimes interchangeable, but stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

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 suspend In Season 3, Ruby has been suspended from the elite Maxton Hall College, and all evidence points to James being responsible for her expulsion. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026 Play was suspended on the outside courts, but the roofs could close on Armstrong and Ashe, protecting Bublik and Wolf, and Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone, from the elements. — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Laurie Buckhout, a Republican Congressional candidate in North Carolina, was issued a fine and suspended from the site for three years after wagering on her own race. — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 The House race features Nick Begich and independent Bill Hill, who received the backing of the highest-profile Democrat in the race, Matt Schultz, when Schultz suspended his campaign ahead of the primary. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suspend

Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspend

Verb

There may be an additional time now that the weekend closure has been postponed.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
The trial of a Libyan man linked to the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has been postponed at the 11th hour after new evidence emerged just days before jury selection was due to begin in Washington.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of postpone

Verb

Her drawings hung beside pieces by Henry Darger, Bill Traylor, and James Castle—canonical artists in the genre.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Above the staircase hangs a glimmering bronze-and-glass chandelier, a more conventional way of filling empty space on a superyacht—if conventional is the right word for a chandelier that weighs 350 kilograms.

— Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of hang

Verb

Instead, the chief executive said Hilton's middle- and upper-middle segments have swung from posting negative numbers to growing at rates as high as 6%.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
The Slingshot surges forward as the tach swings toward redline, the exhaust emitting a guttural howl.

— William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of swing

Verb

But its real essence is pure escapism, whether dangling from a mountain while rappelling or relaxing in the impeccable spa with its energizing hammam rituals and fragrant frankincense oils.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
The lights dangled from white beams, their power cables coiled and hanging like tails.

— Caitlín Doherty, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of dangle

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suspects

suspend

suspended

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“Suspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspend. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of suspend

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