as in to dismantle
to stop using (something) while keeping it to be possibly used in the future
Many navy ships were mothballed after the war.
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Recent Examples of mothball
Forget drill, baby, drill; at current prices America’s drillers have been mothballing rigs at a rapid clip to preserve capital.
—
Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The previous administration gradually mothballed most of the signage and emblems that commemorated the franchise’s three World Series championships from 2010 to 2014.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Now Kelvin had experienced a level of public humiliation on par with Jesse’s Prayer Pods, and his entire Prism project, which had become a glittering monument to himself, would have to be mothballed, too.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
Output from the mine went into a gradual decline following the War, and it was mothballed in 1996.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The previous administration gradually mothballed most of the signage and emblems that commemorated the franchise’s three World Series championships from 2010 to 2014.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Now Kelvin had experienced a level of public humiliation on par with Jesse’s Prayer Pods, and his entire Prism project, which had become a glittering monument to himself, would have to be mothballed, too.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
Output from the mine went into a gradual decline following the War, and it was mothballed in 1996.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothball
dismantle
Verb
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Long hailed as one of the most important victories of the civil rights movement, and American democracy itself, this achievement is in jeopardy, as Republicans levy attacks and work to dismantle the VRA through the courts.—
Time,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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The group argues that current cuts not only threaten ongoing missions, but also risk dismantling decades of expertise across NASA centers.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mothball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothball. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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