Withhold (7) Crossword Clue
Answer: SUSPEND (7 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Withhold" with 7 letters is "SUSPEND".Suspend means to temporarily withhold, stop, or delay something, often as a form of punishment or due to unforeseen circumstances. It can refer to halting an activity, process, or privilege, such as suspending a decision, service, or individual from a position, with the expectation of resuming it later.
Why "Suspend" Fits
The clue asks for a single word (7 letters) meaning "withhold." The answer, SUSPEND, fits perfectly:
- Withhold: Suspend is the standard verb to mean to temporarily stop, prevent, or withdraw privileges, rights, or activities—matching the clue’s intent of holding something back or putting it on pause.
- Direct match: With seven letters, suspend fits the enumeration exactly.
- Precise meaning: The word encompasses stopping payment, service, access, participation, or other actions for a period of time, but not necessarily making the pause permanent.
Suspend is a key word in law, employment, education, tech, and daily life:
Origin and usage:
- From Latin suspendere ("to hang up, interrupt"), describing an action that ‘hangs’ or keeps something in abeyance.
- Used in contexts from workplace sanctions (“The employee was suspended for misconduct”) to technology (“Suspend a device or process”), and even sports or games.
Examples and context:
- “The bank may suspend withdrawals from an account under investigation.”
- “She was suspended from school for one day for her behavior.”
- “They decided to suspend the service until the issue was resolved.”
In quick crosswords like “Withhold (7),” clues involving delay, prevention, or restriction favor precise, multi-domain verbs:
Definition: “Withhold” can cover pausing, delaying, or removing something for a period; suspend is a more formal, broad synonym that fits many settings.
Clue type: Direct verb synonym—used in puzzles for its formal clarity and everyday relevance.
Solving approach:
- For seven-letter verbs that mean to hold back or pause, suspend is more common than “detain” (6) or “refrain” (7, but means to hold oneself back, not to withhold from another).
Crossword pattern: Verbs for restriction—suspend, r
