in cold storage

Idioms  

1. In a state of abeyance or postponement. For example, We can't consider these design changes now; let's put them in cold storage for a year or so. This expression alludes to the literal storage of food, furs, or other objects in a refrigerated place. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Some kept them in cold storage, on computers or drives disconnected from the internet.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2025

Its remains have been placed in cold storage whilst DNA testing takes place, with experts saying it may take several weeks before a final identification is confirmed.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024

The researchers also simulated a potential mitigation, placing honey bee hive boxes in cold storage so the bees start to cluster earlier and save workers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

Unlike apples and pears, which can be stored in cold storage after harvest, cherries cannot and must go straight to market, DeVaney said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2024

You couldn’t knock down the skyscrapers when the tenants left; so instead boards went over the windows and doors, and the great shells of commerce were put in cold storage.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides