Englishabeyance
noun
the project was left in abeyance for the time being:
suspension, a state of suspension, a state of dormancy, a state of latency, a state of uncertainty, suspense, remission, reserve;
pending, suspended, deferred, postponed, put off, put to one side, unattended, unfinished, incomplete, unresolved, undetermined, up in the air, betwixt and between;
informal in cold storage, on ice, on the back burner, hanging fire.
▷antonyms in hand, under way, continuing.
□ hold something in abeyance
the application was held in abeyance whilst legal advice was sought:
suspend, adjourn, interrupt, break off, postpone, delay, defer, shelve, arrest, put off, intermit, prorogue, hold over, put aside, pigeonhole;
reschedule;
cut short, bring to an end, cease, discontinue, dissolve, disband, terminate, call a halt to;
North American table;
informal put on ice, put on the back burner, mothball;
North American, informal take a rain check on.
▷antonyms continue, resume.