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
That project, announced in December, included plans to mothball 175 rooms in the newer wing that opened in 2000.
—
Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Completed in 1985 under strongman Ferdinand Marcos, it was mothballed by his democratic successors.
—Alex Alfirraz Scheers, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Sheets had been largely mothballed after the tradeline, collecting just 11 plate appearances (1.055 OPS) the first 18 days after the trade deadline.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
The Trump rescission bill made it through the House and Senate and mothballs federal funding for National Public Radio, public TV and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Completed in 1985 under strongman Ferdinand Marcos, it was mothballed by his democratic successors.
—Alex Alfirraz Scheers, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Sheets had been largely mothballed after the tradeline, collecting just 11 plate appearances (1.055 OPS) the first 18 days after the trade deadline.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
The Trump rescission bill made it through the House and Senate and mothballs federal funding for National Public Radio, public TV and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothball
dismantle
Verb
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Imagine a mayor who claimed to champion working people while dismantling protections against anti-Latino discrimination because of opposition to Mexico’s government.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Until those power structures are dismantled and Rodríguez's control is meaningfully reduced, Delgado said, Venezuelans will continue to live in fear and will not feel safe.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mothball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothball. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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