shovel-ready

adjective

shov·​el-ready ˈshə-vəl-ˌre-dē How to pronounce shovel-ready (audio)
of a construction project or site
: ready for the start of work

Examples of shovel-ready in a Sentence

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 mayor will also proceed with asking voters this fall to approve the city’s $800 million Vibrant bond package, which would greenlight shovel-ready construction projects throughout the city. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 22 May 2025 In addition, incentives from New York state include $73 million in tax credits over ten years and $22 million from an economic development shovel-ready grant program, Fast NY. Chloe Sorvino, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025 This project is shovel-ready and will create significant new jobs and economic growth for Texas as part of President Trump's efforts to boost the U.S. economy. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025 In all, the district has more than $1.5 billion in unfunded or partially funded capital needs including two shovel-ready, double-tracking projects planned for the Coaster corridor. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025 The regulatory process that governs new energy projects must also be streamlined to ensure that shovel-ready clean energy projects can come online as quickly as possible. H. Russell Frisby, Baltimore Sun, 16 Feb. 2025 Project Drawdown highlights various shovel-ready solutions, linking the public with the private sector. Martin England, Baltimore Sun, 19 Nov. 2024 One of the solar projects — Apache Solar II — is shovel-ready. Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024 According to the Site Selectors Guild, Massachusetts does not have a program to help guide companies to shovel-ready sites, so simply setting up shop can be a challenge. Scott Cohn, CNBC, 11 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shovel-ready was in 1995

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Cite this Entry

“Shovel-ready.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shovel-ready. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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