shelve

verb

ˈshelv 

shelved; shelving

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

Synonyms

• defer
• delay
• hold off (on)
• hold over
• hold up
• lay over
• postpone
• put off
• put over
• remit

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

Heady with delight and confusion, theorists began scrambling to explain DESI’s findings and resurfaced old, more complex ideas shelved decades ago. —Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025

Nearly half of young adults have indefinitely shelved their vacation plans. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 29 Apr. 2025

The Dodgers have shelved starting pitchers Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow and lost top reliever Blake Treinen. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025

Subsequent media reports suggested the EU was thinking of shelving probes into Apple, Google, and Meta in response to threats from the Trump administration. —Anu Bradford, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

shelf

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for shelve

• delve
• twelve

Kids Definition

shelve

verb

ˈshelv 

shelved; shelving

1

: to place on a shelf

shelve books

2

: to put off or aside : defer

shelve a project

shelver noun