shelve

verb

shelved; shelving
Synonyms of shelvenext

transitive verb

1
: to furnish with shelves
2
: to place on a shelf
shelve books
3
a
: to remove from active service
b
: to put off or aside
shelve a project

intransitive verb

: to slope in a formation like a shelf
shelver noun

Examples of shelve in a Sentence

The books were shelved according to category. let's shelve the project for now
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Washington Post reported last week that HHS has shelved a study CDC scientists were on the verge of publishing showing that this past winter the vaccines reduced the risk of needing emergency care or hospitalization for Covid by 50%. Helen Branswell, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026 The country had poured more than 9 billion rand ($550 million) into the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor, which briefly made South Africa one of the global centers for advanced nuclear engineering before the project was shelved due to delays and rising costs. Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Israeli President Isaac Herzog has decided to shelve, for now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon in his graft trial, preferring to press the parties to reach an agreement that would terminate the case consensually, his office announced. Galit Altstein, Bloomberg, 26 Apr. 2026 The Looney Tunes movie starring Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor was shelved and written off by the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros in November 2023 after completion as the P&A economics for a theatrical release didn’t make sense for the $70M production. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shelve

Word History

Etymology

shelf

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shelve was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shelve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelve. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

shelve

verb
shelved; shelving
1
: to place on a shelf
shelve books
2
: to put off or aside : defer
shelve a project
shelver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shelve

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster