shelve

1 of 2

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

shelver

2 of 2

noun

shelv·​er

və(r)

plural -s

: one that shelves (as books in a library)

Synonyms of shelve

Verb

• postpone
• delay
• defer

Examples of shelve in a Sentence

Verb

The books were shelved according to category.

let's shelve the project for now

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

By then, plans to sign a right-back had been shelved after failing to identify any suitable options. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

The project has been shelved, said Enrico Caterino, the government's extraordinary commissioner for the blue crab emergency. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026

It was shelved amid the politics and economics that surround nuclear power in this country, for reasons that had nothing to do with the engineering. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026

But Sony ultimately shelved plans for a third Amazing Spider-Man installment after the second film underperformed compared to expectations. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

shelf

First Known Use

Verb

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