How to Use abeyance in a Sentence

abeyance

noun
  • Maybe something like an abeyance.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
  • The world hasn’t stopped, but our human social lives are in abeyance.
    — Claire Messud, WSJ, 30 Apr. 2020
  • The remaining 40 days will be held in abeyance for five years.
    — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 6 Apr. 2021
  • Last week, the former Utah star entered a plea in abeyance in his last open case.
    — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 July 2023
  • The judge held the case in abeyance until the parties could work out a solution.
    — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 6 Oct. 2021
  • The discipline will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
    — Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 24 Aug. 2021
  • Taylor pleaded guilty in abeyance to assault and the other charges were dropped.
    — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
  • His suspension is being held in abeyance until the appeal is heard.
    — Jeff Wallner, Star Tribune, 5 Apr. 2021
  • In effect, all pending cases in various courts have been held in abeyance.
    — Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 10 May 2022
  • Logic and plausibility are held in abeyance to pave the way for the next juicy pop number.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2023
  • The consensus of analysts is that the crisis may be in abeyance for the moment, but is far from over.
    — Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2021
  • And so the penultimate draft of this article intended to hold this award in abeyance.
    — Carl Anka, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Failing that, a foreclosure case filed by the town — but held in abeyance so a site plan could be developed — will go forward.
    — David Lyons, sun-sentinel.com, 26 June 2019
  • The jail term was held in abeyance, pending a review hearing in 60 days, according to court records.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The case is currently held in abeyance while the appeals court ponders various issues.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The other charges were dismissed and Paul, who was put on probation, submitted a plea of abeyance.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
  • The judges’ comments came as the court voted yesterday to hold the case in abeyance for another 60 days.
    — Niina Heikkinen, Scientific American, 27 June 2018
  • But as the disease moves into abeyance, film productions appear to be resuming.
    — Vivienne Chow, Variety, 8 June 2022
  • The actors clutched their scripts while members of the hair-and-makeup team attended to them, attempting to keep sweat and grime in abeyance.
    — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2021
  • Kentucky has held her disciplinary case in abeyance pending the resolution of the Ohio case.
    — Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati.com, 20 Nov. 2019
  • Hope and anticipation have not gone dormant, have not settled in abeyance, just in impatience.
    — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Jan. 2022
  • My whole life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—is being held in abeyance now, while Elton John is singing in Leningrad.
    — Mikhail Iossel, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2021
  • The commission held in abeyance the decision as to further adjusting the schedule.
    — Carol Rosenberg, miamiherald, 17 July 2017
  • Then the new monarch can decide whether to bestow it on his brother or another member of the family — or hold it in abeyance for a time in the future.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, 12 July 2021
  • With the deal in abeyance and Iran rapidly growing its nuclear program, its regional forces will become more brazen.
    — Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 2 Dec. 2021
  • His characters are people emblematic of our time, when the notions of duty and sacrifice are by and large in abeyance.
    — Katie Kitamura, New York Times, 5 July 2017
  • This is science fiction that keeps its science largely in abeyance, as dark matter for a story about loneliness, grief and finding purpose.
    — Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2022
  • Comerica has asked that its state tax appeal be held in abeyance until the federal case is settled — a common move in such proceedings.
    — Jon Bream, Star Tribune, 25 July 2021
  • However, the Senate will hold this article in abeyance and take up the other allegations first.
    — Lauren McGaughy, Dallas News, 17 Aug. 2023
  • That threat was only held in abeyance by his signature; the commission needed to ratify it to fully spike the governor’s guns.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abeyance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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