Sentence examples for a mere shell from inspiring English sources
The phrase "a mere shell" is correct and usable in written English
It can be used to describe something that is superficial or lacking substance, often implying that what is presented is not the true essence of something. Example: "The company appeared successful, but it was just a mere shell of its former self, struggling to maintain its reputation."
He was invisible, the car a mere shell.
There is not much time to take decisions about the future of the Colonial Office before it becomes a mere shell of its present active self.
It later defeated several attempts by Burlington and other towns to succeed it as state capital, especially in 1857 when fire left the statehouse a mere shell.
"At that time," Chief Justice McGrath wrote, "the state of Montana and its government were operating under a mere shell of legal authority, and the real social and political power was wielded by powerful corporate managers to further their own business interests.
If fixing broken markets appears to these voters as a mere shell game, hiding bigger deficits and tax increases behind empty promises on living costs, they may prefer a tax cut in the hand to a price freeze in the bush.
By the end of the novel the charismatic Ravelstein no longer holds center stage, and as he is marginalized, the book loses its energy and focus, collapsing into a mere shell of a story -- a portrait in which the subject has disappeared from view.
Many NGOs are quasi-official or mere shell entities attempting to get government money.
A good grasp of human nature helps figure out what constitutes the nutritious meat of ancient guidelines and what constitutes the mere shell.
As a further consequence, double bind-organisations not only lose their ability to timely adapt to external changes (in double bind-organisations no learning can take place, impeding the assimilation of a company to changing environments) but, even worse, a double bind institution ends up with mere shells of employees being intimidated, hushed up and unproductive.
Many are mere shells, but others are extraordinarily active.
Many local party branches or associations are mere shells.
