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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
In her closet were seven Ungaros, three Rykiels, a Kamali bathing suit and a Kamali sleeping-bag coat, five Kenzo dresses, two pieces from the Ballets Russes collection of Saint Laurent—all of which were trades or payments in kind, none of them mothballed, but instead worn ostentatiously and often.
—
Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The two Karuizawa casks (#6195 and #888) in question were distilled in 1999, a year before the distillery was mothballed, and each is expected to yield about 420 bottles.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
Some 1,000 construction workers were laid off as the Gateway Development Commission mothballed the project.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
The Devil’s Place whiskey list also includes complete collections of special expressions and bottles from distilleries long mothballed.
—Don Tse, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The two Karuizawa casks (#6195 and #888) in question were distilled in 1999, a year before the distillery was mothballed, and each is expected to yield about 420 bottles.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
Some 1,000 construction workers were laid off as the Gateway Development Commission mothballed the project.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
The Devil’s Place whiskey list also includes complete collections of special expressions and bottles from distilleries long mothballed.
—Don Tse, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mothball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothball
dismantle
Verb
-
Thousands of people rallied Saturday in the cradle of the modern Civil Rights Movement to mobilize a new voting rights era as conservative states dismantle congressional districts that helped secure Black political representation.—
Kim Chandler,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
Disrupting the possibility of cheerful solitude is both a stylistic and social shift, disturbing the film’s non-narrative serenity while depicting how dismantling the safety net displaces basic functions onto those least able to bear them.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mothball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothball. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
