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
About $6 million is still needed to complete the design, engineering and permit work needed to get project shovel-ready, Lee said.
—
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 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
But Intel’s vision required more than tax incentives and shovel-ready land.
—Angela Jackson, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
The mayor will also proceed with asking voters this fall to approve the city’s $800 million Vibrant bond package, which would greenlight shovel-ready construction projects throughout the city.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
This project is shovel-ready and will create significant new jobs and economic growth for Texas as part of President Trump's efforts to boost the U.S. economy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
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Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 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
But Intel’s vision required more than tax incentives and shovel-ready land.
—Angela Jackson, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
The mayor will also proceed with asking voters this fall to approve the city’s $800 million Vibrant bond package, which would greenlight shovel-ready construction projects throughout the city.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
This project is shovel-ready and will create significant new jobs and economic growth for Texas as part of President Trump's efforts to boost the U.S. economy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shovel-ready.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shovel-ready. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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