: a system of hiring workers and especially longshoremen by the day or shift by having applicants gather for each day's selection
also
: an instance of such hiring practice
shaped up; shaping up; shapes up
: to improve to a good or acceptable condition or standard of behavior
shaping up at the gym
: to bring to a good or acceptable condition or standard of behavior
Examples of shape-up in a Sentence
Verb
told his son that if he didn't shape up, he'd be grounded for a month
this group of summer interns is shaping up to be one of the best we've ever hired
Recent Examples on the Web
A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez, Parents, 7 Dec. 2023
David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
And the Senate battle shaping up between Lake, an ardent Trump ally, and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, could be decisive to the balance of power in Congress.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
The weather is shaping up to possibly disappoint the millions of potential viewers.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
The remarks underscored what is shaping up to be a hallmark of Biden’s economic agenda: industrial policy.
—Bymaria Flynn, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
Here are the ways retirement might be shaping up for you.
—Kate Ashford Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
Besides the 50th anniversary rides, 2024 is shaping up as a memorable year for Pirsig aficionados.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are shaping up to a blockbuster for NBCUniversal.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Below, keep track of your favorite season 25 contestants and how John Legend, Dan + Shay, Chance the Rapper, and Reba McEntire's teams are all shaping up as the Knockouts get underway.
—Maggie Fremont, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut Is there anything more powerful than a fresh shape-up?
—A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez, Parents, 7 Dec. 2023
Verb
How demographics shape the battlegrounds Orange County is shaping up to be among the chief places where questions like that will play out in the battle for control of the House.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
And the Senate battle shaping up between Lake, an ardent Trump ally, and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, could be decisive to the balance of power in Congress.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
The weather is shaping up to possibly disappoint the millions of potential viewers.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
The remarks underscored what is shaping up to be a hallmark of Biden’s economic agenda: industrial policy.
—Bymaria Flynn, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
Here are the ways retirement might be shaping up for you.
—Kate Ashford Of Nerdwallet, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
Besides the 50th anniversary rides, 2024 is shaping up as a memorable year for Pirsig aficionados.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are shaping up to a blockbuster for NBCUniversal.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Below, keep track of your favorite season 25 contestants and how John Legend, Dan + Shay, Chance the Rapper, and Reba McEntire's teams are all shaping up as the Knockouts get underway.
—Maggie Fremont, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shape-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shape-up
Cite this Entry
“Shape-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shape-up. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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