: 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
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
Mayor Corey Woods is running for a second term unopposed, but the race for three open council seats has shaped up to be competitive.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
Friday night into Saturday morning is shaping up to be a dangerous period with severe thunderstorms charging across some parts of South and Gulf Coast states while flash flooding threatens other parts of the Southeast states.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
But while the next phase of the Senate race is shaping up as a bit of a snoozer, House races in California are poised to provide a slew of excitement.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
March is shaping up to be a similarly monumental pivot point in your evolution.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024
Short-term price fluctuations and the odd naysayer notwithstanding, most in the industry agree that 2024 is shaping up to be a dynamic year.
—Victoria Chynoweth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 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
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
Mayor Corey Woods is running for a second term unopposed, but the race for three open council seats has shaped up to be competitive.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
Friday night into Saturday morning is shaping up to be a dangerous period with severe thunderstorms charging across some parts of South and Gulf Coast states while flash flooding threatens other parts of the Southeast states.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
But while the next phase of the Senate race is shaping up as a bit of a snoozer, House races in California are poised to provide a slew of excitement.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
March is shaping up to be a similarly monumental pivot point in your evolution.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024
Short-term price fluctuations and the odd naysayer notwithstanding, most in the industry agree that 2024 is shaping up to be a dynamic year.
—Victoria Chynoweth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 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 18 Apr. 2024.
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