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.
The show, which had run for more than two decades, was shelved indefinitely over a monologue addressing the murder of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk—one in which Kimmel did not disparage Kirk, nor, indeed, comment on him at all. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025 That rule, heralded by consumer advocates as a long-overdue protection, was shelved after aggressive airline lobbying, which raised doubts about whether the agency is committed to strengthening passenger protections. AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025 That plan burst into flames in Week 2 with Joe Burrow’s Grade 3 turf toe injury, which is expected to shelve him for three months. Dave Niinemets, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 The show proved to be a hit with an older demographic but lagged with younger viewers that networks were desperately courting, prompting NBC to shelve it. Shania Russell, EW.com, 14 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 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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