MOTHBALL Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

mothball

verb

Definition of mothball

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.

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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 On the other, save for this outlier season when the Bucks did plenty to mothball him in what turned into his 36-game campaign, Antetokounmpo had played 67, 73, 63 and 67 games the previous four seasons. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026 Many fire engines are mothballed in city boneyards, and the department has lost nearly 50 more firefighters since the Palisades fire. — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026 The aircraft were mothballed when operator Transaero declared failed in 2915. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026 Miller had taken to toying with the addition in spring training in recent years, only to essentially mothball the pitch. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mothball

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothball

dismantle

Verb

Israeli soldiers and border police arrived at the hilltop on Wednesday, dismantled the settlers’ tent and began trying to remove the settlers from the area.

— Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
In fact, the creators recommend dismantling it during heavy downpours to keep the powerhub entirely dry.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismantle

Browse Nearby Words

motets

mothball

mothballed

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“Mothball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mothball. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mothball

verb

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