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shelve

verb

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

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.
On the Republican side, Texas’s attempt to create five new GOP-friendly seats is tied up in court, Indiana Republicans have balked at a special session, Kansas has shelved its own mid-cycle push for now. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 Nov. 2025 When plans for a A$250m ($197m, £109m) redevelopment were shelved more than 10 years ago, the long journey towards a new stadium — the third largest in Australia — took hold. Michael Bailey, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025 Lennon and Harrison had both worked on the track – Lennon wrote and recorded the original version in 1977; Harrison added overdubs and guitar tracks when the surviving Beatles worked on it in 1995 (only to shelve it until 2003). Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2025 The ailment may not necessarily shelve Oubre long-term. Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025 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 28 Nov. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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