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mothballed

  • past participle
    of mothball.
    mothball
    noun
    a small ball of naphthalene or sometimes of camphor for placing in closets or other storage areas to repel moths from clothing, blankets, etc.
  • past tense form
    of mothball.
    mothball
    noun
    a small ball of naphthalene or sometimes of camphor for placing in closets or other storage areas to repel moths from clothing, blankets, etc.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

When the Toreros needed cold-weather clothing for a game at Dayton, Harbaugh cajoled the Chargers, where he spent part of his playing career, into donating some of their mothballed gear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Vivergo Fuels, which was owned by Associated British Foods and produced bioethanol, closed and Ensus's plant was mothballed.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

Taiwan is already “looking at restarting mothballed coal plants,” Knutson says.

From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026

Yet he expects “limited impact” in the near term from companies bringing mothballed sites back online.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

Whether it was staying with the boyfriend of the month, or in a foreclosed home, or luxuriating in a mothballed beach house, I’ve done fine.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman