shelve

verb

shelved; shelving

transitive verb

1
: to furnish with shelves
2
: to place on a shelf
shelve books
3
a
: to remove from active service
b
: to put off or aside
shelve a project

intransitive verb

: to slope in a formation like a shelf
shelver noun

Examples of shelve in a Sentence

The books were shelved according to category. let's shelve the project for now
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.
Among the guests were William Shatner and Florence Henderson; John Belushi filmed a death scene, but when the actor passed away a day after the pilot aired, his appearance was shelved. Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2025 The project got shelved until 2023, when its focus changed. Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025 Researchers at every stage — from graduate students to senior faculty — have been forced to shelve experiments, rework career plans, and quietly warn each other not to count on long-term funding. Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025 Intel has shelved the broader external rollout of its ambitious 18A chip node, once pitched as a moonshot and instead doubled down on 14A. That’s not capitulation. Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for shelve

Word History

Etymology

shelf

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shelve was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shelve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelve. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

shelve

verb
shelved; shelving
1
: to place on a shelf
shelve books
2
: to put off or aside : defer
shelve a project
shelver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shelve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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