To suspend something means to hang it from above so it floats in the air, or to stop something temporarily with the intention of starting it again later.

When you suspend a decoration from the ceiling, you attach it so it dangles freely without touching the ground. Scientists suspend particles in liquid to study them. Spiders suspend themselves on silk threads.

The temporary stopping meaning is just as common. When a principal suspends a student from school for breaking rules, that student must stay home for a few days before returning. When a TV show goes on hiatus, the network has suspended production until next season. A judge might suspend a trial when new evidence appears. A coach might suspend a player for missing practice.

Notice that suspension implies something will resume: the student returns to school, the show comes back, the trial continues. This differs from cancel, which means to end something permanently. When your parents suspend your video game privileges for a week, they're hitting pause, not delete.

That feeling of anxious waiting called suspense happens when the outcome is suspended, hanging uncertainly in the air like a storyline cliffhanger.