on the shelf

phrase

: in a state of inactivity or uselessness

Examples of on the shelf in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What’s Happening The hair-care aisle has split into two camps that look nearly identical on the shelf but behave very differently on the strand. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

What the different mouthwash types actually do Not every rinse on the shelf works the same way. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Mixon spent all of 2025 on the shelf recovering from a severe foot injury suffered right after a 1,000-yard Pro Bowl campaign with the Houston Texans in 2024. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Even great books can acquire dust on the shelf; an infusion of feeling helps keep them alive. — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for on the shelf

• ourself
• bookshelf
• herself
• himself
• hisself
• itself
• meself
• myself
• nonself
• oneself
• thyself
• yourself