How to Use off-the-shelf in a Sentence

off-the-shelf

adjective
  • This way, off-the-shelf frames are an option.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 22 Feb. 2026
  • But that doesn’t happen with off-the-shelf models.
    — Ramiro Gonzalez Forcada, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The team couldn’t use off-the-shelf components.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2025
  • That high barrier keeps many parks going back to off-the-shelf thrill rides.
    — Robert Niles, Orange County Register, 5 Apr. 2024
  • More and more hardware and services are available on an off-the-shelf basis.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Most of the components are off-the-shelf and difficult to trace.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
  • Businesses shouldn’t just buy an off-the-shelf solution and hope for the best.
    — Tomas Gorny, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Instead of burning lots of cash to reinvent the wheel, use an off-the-shelf product.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Trillin would never reach for such off-the-shelf and impolite verbiage.
    — Dwight Garner, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2024
  • And the cruise lines aren’t just accessing off-the-shelf solutions.
    — Fran Golden, AFAR Media, 29 Oct. 2025
  • That’s why, sometimes, automakers will decide to use an off-the-shelf part on their new car.
    — Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 June 2024
  • One of those is an off-the-shelf model, while there are two other development types.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 7 May 2026
  • There aren’t really off-the-shelf solutions that can move the needle.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Tray mounting is a simple method that is used in most off-the-shelf 60 percent keyboards.
    — Henri Robbins, Wired News, 9 Dec. 2025
  • There are a growing number of off-the-shelf costumes just for stoners, from this big bag of weed to this creepy pot leaf mask.
    — Brooke Staggs, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024
  • Healthcare’s over-reliance on off-the-shelf tools is well documented.
    — Amber Nigam, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • At the same time, the company has sought to use off-the-shelf parts wherever possible.
    — Calif. senior Correspondent, Time, 12 June 2025
  • The brand makes great looking e-bikes from off-the-shelf parts supported by a robust service network.
    — Thomas Ricker, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2026
  • The setup costs are kept low by using off-the-shelf products to avoid scaring off farmers with high upfront charges.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Fortune, 26 June 2025
  • As a result, many have opted for customized furniture instead of off-the-shelf items.
    — Matt Emma, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Its suspension is custom-tuned for the Tacoma and isn't available as an off-the-shelf product.
    — Kristin Shaw, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2023
  • That’s not something that can be purchased in an off-the-shelf, generalist software package.
    — Anand Logani, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Gao stresses that there is no off-the-shelf technology solution for this pace, but data is the key input.
    — Jamie Gutfreund, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Ashcraft says that finding the right off-the-shelf needle in a haystack gives her curatorial work more staying power.
    — Emily Evans Eerdmans, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2024
  • More standard options range from $25 to $65 per square foot, with some off-the-shelf versions costing even less.
    — Alyssa Longobucco, House Beautiful, 22 Feb. 2023
  • The company first repurposed an off-the-shelf implant used to control seizures in people with epilepsy.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2022
  • In the company’s demo video, the vehicle is using nothing more than off-the-shelf cameras.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 24 Apr. 2024
  • The vehicle was built in part by using off-the-shelf components, including the controller.
    — Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 28 June 2023
  • Micross designed the device as a commercial off-the-shelf solution.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Its off-the-shelf Mavic drones serve as the de facto reconnaissance platform on both sides of the Ukraine war.
    — Time Contributors, Time, 27 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'off-the-shelf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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