shelve

verb

shelved; shelving

transitive verb

1
: to furnish with shelves
2
: to place on a shelf
shelve books
3
a
: to remove from active service
b
: to put off or aside
shelve a project

intransitive verb

: to slope in a formation like a shelf
shelver noun

Examples of shelve in a Sentence

The books were shelved according to category. let's shelve the project for now
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company shelved indefinitely a plan to build an EV factory in Mexico, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Yue Wang, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Features include 3½ bathrooms and a living room with custom millwork, O’Brien Harris shelving and a 60-foot linear ventless fireplace framed in Iceland book matched porcelain. Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025 Similarly, Trump shelved the small but vital Office of Net Assessment where a dozen military officers plan future war scenarios. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025 Right here in New York, policing initiatives that were launched with great fanfare, and that had achieved success, are quickly shelved when a new management team takes over. Kenneth E. Corey, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shelve

Word History

Etymology

shelf

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shelve was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shelve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelve. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

shelve

verb
shelved; shelving
1
: to place on a shelf
shelve books
2
: to put off or aside : defer
shelve a project
shelver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shelve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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