as in suspension
a state of temporary inactivity
our weekend plans were held in abeyance until we could get a weather forecast
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Recent Examples of abeyance
In the latest development, on June 27, 2025, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a supplementary award in favor of Pakistan, arguing that India’s holding of the treaty in abeyance did not affect its jurisdiction over the case.
—
Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 16 July 2025
The bar will close for 30 days, permanently surrender its 4 a.m. license, and pay a $10,000 fine, with an additional $31,000 held in abeyance.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 June 2025
As employment conditions and other economic variables have been held in abeyance during the trade reset, wage growth has been moderating, dropping to a 3.77 percent increase from 3.83 percent in March, off a recent high of 4.15 percent in November of last year.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 3 June 2025
Lawyers who follow immigration matters said enforcement officers have claimed in other cases to have the authority to temporarily hold bond orders in abeyance.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for abeyance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abeyance
Noun
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Once receiver Rashee Rice returned from a six-game suspension, the Chiefs offense looked nearly unstoppable at times in the middle of the season, which included home blowout wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders.—
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He is briefly named in a 2023 Wisconsin Watch and Wisconsin Public Radio investigation into the state's suspension of pandemic-era grant funding for a small business belonging to Roundtree's mother, Cynthia Brown.—
Noun
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Start the new year with a little extra suspense.—
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And, the heightened level of suspense, coupled with the reader’s invitation to examine the complexities of the human heart, definitely makes this book a must-read.—
Cite this Entry
“Abeyance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abeyance. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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