The term 'hold in abeyance' means to temporarily SUSPEND or delay a decision or action. This can be done for a variety of reasons, such as to allow for further investigation or to wait for more information. The crossword solutions for this term are 'PEND, ' 'SUSPEND, ' 'DEFER, ' and 'tohaveandto.' 'PEND' is a verb meaning to hang or be suspended, while 'SUSPEND' is also a verb meaning to delay or postpone. 'DEFER' is a verb meaning to put off or delay something until a later time. Finally, 'tohaveandto' is an archaic phrase meaning to hold something in abeyance.