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
Many fire engines are mothballed in city boneyards, and the department has lost nearly 50 more firefighters since the Palisades fire.
—
Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026
Rio Tinto’s $3 billion Jadar lithium project in Serbia was mothballed after permitting setbacks, raising questions about whether the EU badge is enough to override local politics and market cycles.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
In her closet were seven Ungaros, three Rykiels, a Kamali bathing suit and a Kamali sleeping-bag coat, five Kenzo dresses, two pieces from the Ballets Russes collection of Saint Laurent—all of which were trades or payments in kind, none of them mothballed, but instead worn ostentatiously and often.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The two Karuizawa casks (#6195 and #888) in question were distilled in 1999, a year before the distillery was mothballed, and each is expected to yield about 420 bottles.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
Some 1,000 construction workers were laid off as the Gateway Development Commission mothballed the project.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
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
Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026
Rio Tinto’s $3 billion Jadar lithium project in Serbia was mothballed after permitting setbacks, raising questions about whether the EU badge is enough to override local politics and market cycles.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
In her closet were seven Ungaros, three Rykiels, a Kamali bathing suit and a Kamali sleeping-bag coat, five Kenzo dresses, two pieces from the Ballets Russes collection of Saint Laurent—all of which were trades or payments in kind, none of them mothballed, but instead worn ostentatiously and often.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The two Karuizawa casks (#6195 and #888) in question were distilled in 1999, a year before the distillery was mothballed, and each is expected to yield about 420 bottles.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
Some 1,000 construction workers were laid off as the Gateway Development Commission mothballed the project.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothballed
dismantled
Verb
-
Gerardo Hernández, the leader of a Cuban espionage ring dismantled by the FBI in the 1990s, was sentenced to life in prison but was released by President Barack Obama during a prisoner swap in 2014 as part of an attempt to normalize relations with Cuba.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
-
The initiative was dismantled in 2022 after accusations of racial profiling, but the lingering effects can still be felt throughout politics and culture.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mothballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothballed. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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