SHELVE Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

shelve

verb

ˈshelv

Definition of shelve

as in to postpone

to assign to a later time let's shelve the project for now

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of shelve Audiences, meanwhile, have already started pitching the series to other streamers such as Netflix, HBO Max and Paramount+ in hopes that it is not shelved altogether. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Harrington broke the two metatarsal bones in his right foot in the seventh game last year, shelving him for 2 1/2 months. — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 LaPorta, dealing with a hip injury after taking a hit in Monday’s practice, is likely to be shelved for the foreseeable future. — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Kodak famously shelved a digital camera prototype, fearing such a camera would undermine its own profits in film. — Brendon Davis, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shelve

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelve

Verb

There may be an additional time now that the weekend closure has been postponed.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
The trial of a Libyan man linked to the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has been postponed at the 11th hour after new evidence emerged just days before jury selection was due to begin in Washington.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of postpone

Verb

During the first quarter of this year, around $130 billion worth of data center projects were blocked or delayed due to local opposition, according to a report from Data Center Watch.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
The classroom pipeline feeds directly into Russia’s conscription system, which requires all 18-year-old men to complete one year’s military service, though in reality many avoid or delay being drafted.

— Bloomberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of delay

Verb

Cao’s deeper subject here concerns the wagers people make on their futures and, by extension, the ways risk is deferred and abstracted in our gamified, appified, casino-like present.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Edwin Díaz The Dodgers outbid the New York Mets for the services of closer Edwin Díaz, agreeing to a three-year, $69 million contract (with much of it deferred).

— Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of defer

Browse Nearby Words

shelters

shelve

shelved

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“Shelve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelve. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shelve

verb

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