shelve
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to place (something) on a shelf or shelves.
-
to put off or aside from consideration.
to shelve the question.
- Synonyms:
- pigeonhole, table, defer
-
to remove from active use or service; dismiss.
-
to furnish with shelves.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to place on a shelf
-
to provide with shelves
-
to put aside or postpone from consideration
-
to dismiss or cause to retire
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shelve1
First recorded in 1585–95; verb use of shelve(s)
Origin of shelve2
1580–90; origin uncertain; compare Frisian skelf not quite level
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:
Rather than shelve the movie, Scott — ever the problem solver — replaced him with Christopher Plummer and reshot 22 scenes just weeks before it was due in theaters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Walsh told the jury it was human nature to "box" or "shelve" feelings away – and that was what Complainant A and B had done over the years.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Manifold had replaced Helge Lund, who departed after a major reset at the British energy giant that saw it shelve carbon-reduction targets to focus on fossil fuel output.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
He is also unsentimental when it comes to upending the status quo in bookselling, including his conviction that Barnes & Noble needs to shelve fewer total books but more individual titles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
How could the Augurs have— The assassin circles me, and I shelve my questions.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
He has hinted the dot plot could be toned down or eventually shelved, but it’s unclear if he has enough support inside the Fed to take such a step.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Reece Weaver has shelved her cowboy boots and swapped the football pitch for the stage as she steps into one of the most famous roles in the world.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
It’s an invigorating reminder of how many classics of literature are shelved away in the children’s section.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
They also celebrated recently when Southern California Gas Co. shelved long-held plans for a hydrogen pipeline system after an unfavorable ruling from the state’s utility regulator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The pantry is shelved floor to ceiling with pickles and soup jars, molasses, put-up vegetables, and preserves.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Among them was Cameron’s upstairs work loft, where Alix ripped out the carpet before adding dark gray textured walls, wood flooring, custom black shelving, weathered-looking light fixtures, and a large glass table.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Yet the quarterly tax write-off from shelving Coyote vs.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
In the 12th-floor model unit, the steel framework has even been turned into closet shelving.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Teeming documents charting the rich subsoil of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo fill nearly 500 metres of shelving at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, outside the Belgian capital.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
The very long, very wide cellar was just as he remembered it: filled with tidy rows of floor-to-ceiling shelving units.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
