I never trusted it when I heard the word “suspended”
"Practically speaking, if a candidate removes him- or herself from the race without the intent of re-entering at a later date, then there is not a big difference between "suspending" a campaign vs. dropping out entirely. The end result is usually the same: the candidate is no longer seeking that particular office. Four years ago, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Mitt Romney all "suspended" their campaigns, but their bids had effectively ended. One notable exception: John McCain announced he was suspending his presidential campaign in late September 2008 so that he could return to Washington to focus on the financial crisis. However, McCain made it clear that the suspension was temporary and that he would eventually resume with the campaign. That said, there are two main differences between "suspending" and ending a presidential campaign: delegates and money."