ENGLISH
REFERENCE

suspend

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //səˈspɛnd// UK //səspˈɛnd// sus·pend Academic Archaic General-service

v. to stop something for a short time, or to officially prevent someone from doing their job or attending school as a punishment. It can also mean to hang something from a high place so it does not touch the ground.

v. to temporarily prevent from continuing or being in force; to officially debar a person from a privilege or office for a prescribed period. Also used to describe the physical act of hanging an object from above.


SIMPLE

The school decided to suspend the student for three days.

CONTEXTUAL

The airline had to suspend all flights to the island until the heavy storm passed and the runway was cleared.

COMPLEX

The committee voted to suspend the current regulations while they investigated the safety breach, effectively halting all production until a new protocol could be established and verified.

Synonyms
Origin

From Old French sospendre, from Latin suspendere.

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. When used for physical hanging, it often takes the preposition 'from'.

Pitfall

The game was suspended because the rain.The game was suspended because of the rain.When using 'suspend' in the passive voice to explain a cause, 'because' must be followed by 'of' before a noun phrase.

Idioms1 entry

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