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

Relevance

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

Synonym Chooser

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 An Orange County fire battalion chief has been suspended from his post after he was arrested Friday in a prostitution sting by the Altamonte Springs Police Department, Orange County Fire Rescue confirmed Tuesday. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 And fights can lead to being suspended for multiple games or the season. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 According to federal data at the time, the guidance said, African American students represented just 15% of students overall but 35% of students suspended once and 44% of students suspended more than once. — Cory Turner, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 Costa, who is the president of the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM) in Marseille, was suspended from his post in June alongside the museum’s general manager, Véronique Haché. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 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

Anthropic is currently dangling base salaries of $320,000 to $405,000 for staff software engineering roles, for example.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Investigators say Williams proceeded to strangle the woman, holding her up for 20 to 25 seconds until her feet dangled beneath her.

— Anna McAllister, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of dangle

Browse Nearby Words

suspects

suspend

suspended

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Suspend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspend. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of suspend

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes