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DictionarysuspendTemporary stopping
verb

suspend

suh-SPEND/səˈspend/

To interrupt temporarily.

She suspends video playback on her tablet by tapping pause.

An older woman temporarily pauses a video on a tablet; its prominent pause symbol and partly completed playback bar make the interruption visible without suggesting deletion or a permanent ending.
Etymology
susLatinup from under
+pendLatinto hang; cause to hang

The underlying image is “hanging up”: something is held rather than allowed to proceed. The Latin verb already joined this physical meaning with interrupting or setting something aside temporarily.

In context

Free Documentary - Engineering131:52
a tropical storm or typhoon is likely to happen in the next 2 days the safest thing to do would be to suspend the operation
Extreme Construction: China's Mega Projects | FD Engineering

More examples

  • The city suspends bus service during severe storms.
  • The school suspended him for three days after the fight.
  • We suspend the meeting until everyone can join.

Forms

suspend · suspends · suspended · suspending

suspension noun — A temporary stop or loss of privileges.

Similar words

pause
Pause emphasizes a brief break before an activity resumes.
interrupt
Interrupt emphasizes breaking an activity's continuity, often unexpectedly.
halt
Halt emphasizes stopping and does not necessarily suggest resumption.