shovel-ready
adjective
shov·el-ready
ˈshə-vəl-ˌre-dē 
of a construction project or site
: ready for the start of work
Examples of shovel-ready in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The earliest that the pier and lifeguard headquarters project could be shovel-ready is 2027.
—
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
The project has been thoroughly vetted and is shovel-ready.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 3 Jan. 2026
The marine terminal that will assemble the turbines was supposed to be shovel-ready as soon as 2026.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
Lenders hesitate, underwriting collapses, and shovel-ready developments stall.
—Jenna Abbott, Oc Register, 30 Nov. 2025
At the ceremony Friday, Cherry and other speakers promoted the mine’s importance in delivering the most shovel-ready domestic reserve of antimony in the U.S., including for its use in national defense, the company said in a report of the event.
—Kevin Fixler
september 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2025
Should nature call, there are shovel-ready handlers to remove the detritus.
—Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
But Chobani, which did not respond to a request for comment, had reached out to the state in May of last year about the project, state records show, and benefited from a state program that lures companies with shovel-ready sites.
—Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 8 July 2025
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Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
The project has been thoroughly vetted and is shovel-ready.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 3 Jan. 2026
The marine terminal that will assemble the turbines was supposed to be shovel-ready as soon as 2026.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
Lenders hesitate, underwriting collapses, and shovel-ready developments stall.
—Jenna Abbott, Oc Register, 30 Nov. 2025
At the ceremony Friday, Cherry and other speakers promoted the mine’s importance in delivering the most shovel-ready domestic reserve of antimony in the U.S., including for its use in national defense, the company said in a report of the event.
—Kevin Fixler
september 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2025
Should nature call, there are shovel-ready handlers to remove the detritus.
—Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
But Chobani, which did not respond to a request for comment, had reached out to the state in May of last year about the project, state records show, and benefited from a state program that lures companies with shovel-ready sites.
—Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shovel-ready.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shovel-ready. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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