as in to postpone
to assign to a later time
let's shelve the project for now
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Recent Examples of shelve
But this session will be Polis’ last, and union groups — who have shelved plans to launch a pro-worker ballot campaign — are now starting to eye the governor’s would-be replacements.
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Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The bill was shelved before the legislature could vote on it.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Some of the experiments that scientists shelved this year could still be done at later dates.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Also shelved Tuesday were left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (hip) and defensive lineman Keion White (groin) because of injuries in Sunday night’s 42-38 win over the Chicago Bears.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shelve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelve
Verb
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The game last Thursday at United Center was postponed after nearly a two-hour delay, as workers attempted to dry a court fed by condensation from the ice below.—
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The Heat was also set to use the Mitchell-Herro-Powell-Wiggins-Adebayo lineup to start Thursday’s game in Chicago before it was postponed.—
Verb
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If Takaichi cannot enact the budget by the end of March, her government would have to compile a stop-gap budget, which could delay execution of spending measures.—
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For people with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, delaying or not getting care could be fatal.—
Verb
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However, a ruling could still be deferred until later in 2026, which many Beltway insiders believe could be more realistic.—
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Eighty years later, the country learned what happens when maintenance is deferred.—
Cite this Entry
“Shelve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelve. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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