as in postponed
to assign to a later time
let's shelve the project for now
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Recent Examples of shelved
Items should be handled once (think hung, shelved, or stored) rather than set down temporarily.
—
Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 29 Jan. 2026
The records themselves are not easy to use; manuscripts are shelved around the world, and the texts, written in four different European languages, still have not been fully brought together in modern translations and analysis.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
One by one, the retail experiments got shuttered and shelved.
—Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
And finally, in late October, when plans for another bilateral summit were shelved (again because the Kremlin seemed unwilling to compromise), the White House slapped sanctions on Russia’s biggest oil giants, Lukoil and Rosneft – a step even the Biden administration had balked at.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Those plans were shelved when Adam Webster suffered knee ligament damage during the club’s pre-season camp in Spain in July.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The books, neatly shelved in alphabetical order, are available for 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hard cover titles.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
The 7th Circuit later granted an emergency stay of Ellis’ injunctive relief pending appeal, a process that will also be shelved once the dismissal is approved.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Some public works projects could be shelved for the time being and budgets for building and vehicle maintenance would be cut.
—Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 29 Jan. 2026
The records themselves are not easy to use; manuscripts are shelved around the world, and the texts, written in four different European languages, still have not been fully brought together in modern translations and analysis.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
One by one, the retail experiments got shuttered and shelved.
—Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
And finally, in late October, when plans for another bilateral summit were shelved (again because the Kremlin seemed unwilling to compromise), the White House slapped sanctions on Russia’s biggest oil giants, Lukoil and Rosneft – a step even the Biden administration had balked at.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Those plans were shelved when Adam Webster suffered knee ligament damage during the club’s pre-season camp in Spain in July.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The books, neatly shelved in alphabetical order, are available for 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hard cover titles.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
The 7th Circuit later granted an emergency stay of Ellis’ injunctive relief pending appeal, a process that will also be shelved once the dismissal is approved.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Some public works projects could be shelved for the time being and budgets for building and vehicle maintenance would be cut.
—Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelved
Verb
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The elections were later postponed indefinitely amid political deadlock and security concerns.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The package also postponed the CSDDD’s application, setting the 2028-2029 timeline.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even worse, disaster reimbursement delays, delayed housing repairs, and the holdup of infrastructure rebuilding have fueled anger in the communities that are hardest hit.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When asked to rank his dunks, James deferred.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Decisions get deferred in the name of inclusion or further exploration.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shelved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelved. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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