Delay having suspect freed (5)
I believe the answer is:
defer
'delay' is the definition.
(I know that defer is a kind of delay)
'suspect freed' is the wordplay.
'suspect' indicates anagramming the letters (a suspicious or unusual spelling).
'freed' anagrammed gives 'DEFER'.
'having' is the link.
(Other definitions for defer that I've seen before include "Freed to submit to authority" , "Postpone - submit" , "Freed (anag.)" , "Yield to authority" , "Put off or give way" .)