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

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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 The very next day, like an anvil falling from the sky, Forte and his collaborators were crushed by the news that Warner Bros, the film’s studio, had decided to shelve the movie for a tax write-off. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 Talks ended in 2013 when a Eurosceptic government shelved the process. — Tom Littleand Johan Ahlander Reuters, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026 Glazer during his Senate term pushed similar legislation that was ultimately shelved in a deal with tech giants. — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 Sony ultimately shelved plans for a third Amazing Spider-Man movie following the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which underperformed compared with expectations. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shelve

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelve

Verb

The Gulf’s conference season is usually packed into the cooler months, and the last quarter of 2026 is even more crammed because events in the spring were postponed due to the war.

— Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
This Sunday’s game against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay was actually supposed to be played in 2020 but was postponed because of the pandemic’s disruption of nonconference schedules.

— Pete Sampson, New York Times, 3 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shelve

verb

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