SHELVES Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

shelves

verb

present tense third-person singular of shelve

as in delays

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

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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 shelves Clean the wood cabinet doors monthly and the interior shelves every three to six months. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026 The result was a fun cameo arc that ends on the image of Scorsese breaking down in tears after Matt shelves the iconic director’s dream project to save his own job — a turn that earned Scorsese his first acting nomination. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelves

Verb

So pretending imbalance isn't happening — like when one partner is regularly absorbing all the work and smiling through it — just delays the same resentment that often festers in exchange relationships.

— Mark Travers, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
That is not only a problem for expanding power grid infrastructure to support growing electricity demand, but also delays the process of replacing aging power transformers.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of delays

Verb

The injury postpones any plans to send the 20-year-old out on loan.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Or someone managing diabetes who postpones a preventive visit because grocery shopping, prescription pickups, and coordinating multiple specialists compete for limited time and energy.

— Aimée K. Dailey, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of postpones

Verb

In Port-au-Prince, CERMICOL, a juvenile detention facility built for 90 boys, now holds over 700 men, women, girls and boys.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Egypt’s Theban necropolis holds over 400 tombs, a rich resource for archaeologists eager to learn more about that region’s ancient history.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of holds over

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shelved

shelves

shelving

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

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Synonyms of shelves

verb

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