as in dismantled
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 mothballed
What has resulted in the first weeks of Musk’s campaign against government has been reports of veterans being fired, whole agencies mothballed—probably unconstitutionally, courts are declaring—and benefits thrown into risk.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 2 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
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
The structure could be mothballed sometime next year until a plan for its reuse is determined.
—Jason Clayworth, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Three Mile Island’s reactor has been mothballed for five years, not just one.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2024
Philip Elliott, Time, 2 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
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
The structure could be mothballed sometime next year until a plan for its reuse is determined.
—Jason Clayworth, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Three Mile Island’s reactor has been mothballed for five years, not just one.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothballed
dismantled
Verb
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In Tennessee, state lawmakers dismantled existing oversight boards and replaced them with advisory bodies that are expressly prohibited from conducting investigations.—
Hansel Alejandro Aguilar,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
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Within scientific branches of government, the currency of checks and balances has always been data; Kennedy and his allies have forcibly dismantled those guardrails.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mothballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothballed. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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