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
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
When Kar Kraft’s work on the vehicle was completed, it was shipped to Shelby American in Los Angeles for a full rebuild, then trucked back across country to Ford’s headquarters in Detroit, where it was mothballed in storage.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2025
Having spent its life mothballed in storage, the car shows only 75 kilometers (just less than 47 miles) on its digital odometer.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2025
In recent months, Microsoft contracted with Constellation Energy to restart Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, which was mothballed 5 years ago.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
When Kar Kraft’s work on the vehicle was completed, it was shipped to Shelby American in Los Angeles for a full rebuild, then trucked back across country to Ford’s headquarters in Detroit, where it was mothballed in storage.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2025
Having spent its life mothballed in storage, the car shows only 75 kilometers (just less than 47 miles) on its digital odometer.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2025
In recent months, Microsoft contracted with Constellation Energy to restart Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, which was mothballed 5 years ago.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothball
dismantle
Verb
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After Inter Miami crashed out of the Club World Cup following a 4-0 dismantling at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, Jordi Alba succinctly summed his team’s predicament.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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As this year’s proxy voting season approached, the business community wondered: Would investors vote to dismantle or defend DEI?—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mothball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothball. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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