shelve indefinitely

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "shelve indefinitely" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to postponing or delaying a decision, project, or task for an unspecified or extended period of time. Example: "Due to budget constraints, we have decided to shelve the new marketing campaign indefinitely."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

In the wake of the Paris attacks, it has been shelved indefinitely.

The Washington Post

Faced with a movie that could be shelved indefinitely, Kong informed Hui he would have to recast the role and reshoot seventy per cent of the film.

The New Yorker

They realise we have problems," says Chen. Outside, there are building materials for some home improvements that have been shelved indefinitely.

The Guardian

That Higher Education Bill is to be shelved indefinitely is the final proof that pragmatism trumps ideology when it comes to creating a market in HE.

The Guardian

On the eve of the inauguration of the festival, which this year opens on Wednesday night and continues through Sept. 10, it was revealed that plans for the new Palazzo have been shelved indefinitely.

The New York Times - Arts

A proposed peace conference sponsored jointly by Russia and the United States has been shelved indefinitely, and Russia has long opposed stronger punishment for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the United Nations.

The Washington Post

Photograph: BBC Considering some of the original cast of 'Allo 'Allo are no longer with us, I would have thought that any plans for a reunion would have been shelved indefinitely.

The Guardian

The government of Ma-laysia's new prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, left, has shelved indefinitely plans to build a second railway the length of peninsular Malaysia, at a cost of 14.5 billion ringgit ($3.8 billion).

The New York Times

Zhao Xiangfeng, a farmer in Henan Province, said a plan to build a mini-mall on his and six other farmers' land near a station had been shelved indefinitely after he and three of the other farmers refused to lease the land for any price close to what the village leadership offered.

The New York Times

Not only did the government fail to prop it up on the last day of the fiscal half, but a credit-rating agency, Moody's, slashed the long-term debt rating of Nomura Securities, Japan's top brokerage, from A1 to A3 and left it on review for a further downgrade.As expected, Goldman Sachs confirmed that it was shelving indefinitely its plan to go public.

The Economist

CARL PAVANO, 2005 4 years, $39.95 million The dollar figure was not particularly high for the Yankees, but for the money, the team got a 9-8 record, a 5.00 earned run average and possibly the first instance of a player's being shelved indefinitely with a bruised buttocks.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "shelve indefinitely" to indicate a project or plan is being postponed for an unspecified duration, implying it may never be resumed. Be clear about the reasons for shelving to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "shelve indefinitely" when you intend to communicate a permanent cancellation. This phrase implies a possibility of revisiting the project in the future, even if remote. For a definite cancellation, use terms like "abandon" or "cancel".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "shelve indefinitely" functions as a verb phrase where "shelve" is the verb indicating the action of postponing or putting aside, and "indefinitely" is an adverb modifying the verb to specify the duration of the action as being without a defined end. The Ludwig AI analysis confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "shelve indefinitely" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the act of postponing something without a specified end date. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's commonly used to indicate uncertainty about the resumption of a plan or project. While it is a neutral term suitable for various contexts, the lack of examples in the search data indicates that it's not as frequently used as other similar phrases. Alternatives like "postpone indefinitely" or "put on hold indefinitely" might be considered for similar meanings. The user should be mindful of implying indefinite postponement rather than definitive cancellation when employing this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Postpone indefinitely

This alternative uses a different verb to indicate a temporary delay without a set resumption date.

Put on hold indefinitely

This option uses a more idiomatic expression, suggesting a temporary suspension with no clear timeline for reactivation.

Suspend indefinitely

This suggests a formal cessation of activity, implying potential future reactivation but without a defined schedule.

Defer indefinitely

This indicates a deliberate delay to a later time, which may or may not occur.

Table indefinitely

This alternative is often used in formal settings like meetings, meaning to postpone discussion or action.

Mothball

This alternative suggests placing something in storage, unused, with the possibility of future revival.

Abandon for the foreseeable future

This implies a longer-term abandonment with no expectation of revival in the near term.

Put on the back burner

An idiomatic alternative suggesting that the idea is being deprioritized for now.

Discard

This indicates a complete rejection of the project or plan.

Set aside indefinitely

This phrases implies a temporary removal or reservation for potential later use.

FAQs

What does "shelve indefinitely" mean?

The phrase "shelve indefinitely" means to postpone or suspend something (like a project or plan) for an unspecified amount of time, implying there's no current timeline for its resumption.

What can I say instead of "shelve indefinitely"?

You can use alternatives like "postpone indefinitely", "put on hold indefinitely", or "suspend indefinitely" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "shelve something temporarily" if I mean to "shelve indefinitely"?

No, "shelve temporarily" indicates a short-term pause, while "shelve indefinitely" implies a much longer, unspecified delay, potentially permanent. They have different implications.

When is it appropriate to use the term "shelve indefinitely" in a sentence?

Use "shelve indefinitely" when you want to communicate that a decision, plan, or project is being put aside with no clear date for its resumption. For example, "Due to budget cuts, the project has been "put on hold indefinitely"".