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
The Devil’s Place whiskey list also includes complete collections of special expressions and bottles from distilleries long mothballed.
—
Don Tse, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The company began construction twice on the development, but now has mothballed that project.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
Turkey conducted a single test firing near Sinop in 2020, then quietly mothballed the system.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
The bank mothballed plans for the plot of land and hired brokers to sell it in 2014, a process that drew interest from a handful of residential developers who considered the site a prime opportunity to build luxury apartments overlooking the river.
—Jack Sidders, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
Thus began a contentious, years-long saga — involving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, legislators, lawyers, geologic experts, industry officials and local citizens — that delayed, defunded and ultimately mothballed the project in 2010.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2025
The Lightfighter is as powerful, while much lighter than the 575-lb (260-kg) behemoths raced in the MotoE World Championship (the premier international series for electric bikes) – and the 489-lb (225-kg) e-Ducati that would have replaced them had the class not been mothballed from next year.
—New Atlas, 7 Oct. 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
Don Tse, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The company began construction twice on the development, but now has mothballed that project.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
Turkey conducted a single test firing near Sinop in 2020, then quietly mothballed the system.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
The bank mothballed plans for the plot of land and hired brokers to sell it in 2014, a process that drew interest from a handful of residential developers who considered the site a prime opportunity to build luxury apartments overlooking the river.
—Jack Sidders, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
Thus began a contentious, years-long saga — involving the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, legislators, lawyers, geologic experts, industry officials and local citizens — that delayed, defunded and ultimately mothballed the project in 2010.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2025
The Lightfighter is as powerful, while much lighter than the 575-lb (260-kg) behemoths raced in the MotoE World Championship (the premier international series for electric bikes) – and the 489-lb (225-kg) e-Ducati that would have replaced them had the class not been mothballed from next year.
—New Atlas, 7 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothballed
dismantled
Verb
-
If the regime’s coercive structures were truly dismantled, Venezuela’s diaspora could play a transformative role in rebuilding their country.—
Richard Kiy,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
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
“Mothballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothballed. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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