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
But with the series mothballed for more than a year prior to being officially axed, Meloni has not been resting on his laurels.
—
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 June 2026
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
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 8 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothballed
dismantled
Verb
-
Federal prosecutors say the violent Kiccdoe street gang that terrorized Arlington has effectively been dismantled, with 21 members and associates now convicted and one of its most notorious gunmen sentenced to life in prison.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
The ladders across the Khumbu Icefall, which are carefully fixed by Sherpas to help climbers navigate the most treacherous section of the climb, had already been dismantled, according to one mountaineering company.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mothballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothballed. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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