as in to dismantle
to stop using (something) while keeping it to be possibly used in the future
Many navy ships were mothballed after the war.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 mothball
The structure could be mothballed sometime next year until a plan for its reuse is determined.
—
Jason Clayworth, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Flix only owns one bus in Europe — currently mothballed in a Berlin parking garage — and that’s only needed to appease German lawmakers.
—Iain Martin, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Three Mile Island’s reactor has been mothballed for five years, not just one.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2024
In 2017, Intel’s then-CEO Brian Krzanich pledged from the Oval Office to spend $7 billion to restart construction on a semiconductor factory in Arizona that had been mothballed.
—David Goldman, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mothball 
Jason Clayworth, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Flix only owns one bus in Europe — currently mothballed in a Berlin parking garage — and that’s only needed to appease German lawmakers.
—Iain Martin, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Three Mile Island’s reactor has been mothballed for five years, not just one.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2024
In 2017, Intel’s then-CEO Brian Krzanich pledged from the Oval Office to spend $7 billion to restart construction on a semiconductor factory in Arizona that had been mothballed.
—David Goldman, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mothball
Thesaurus Entries Near mothball
Cite this Entry
“Mothball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothball. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share