take shape

idiomatic phrase

: to assume a definite or distinctive form : to develop and become apparent or established
The plan is finally taking shape.
Edison's tireless work habits took shape during his childhood …Paul Gray
The proto-planetary fragments crashed together, coalesced by gravity, and crashed again into other fragments, until they gradually took shape as the planets we know today.M. Mitchell Waldrop
… the first half of the century, before the modern medical system took shape.Geoffrey Cowley

Examples of take shape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But as the the market takes shape, more players are wanting in on the lucrative business which analysts predict could be worth as much as $150 billion annually by the start of next decade. Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025 Stroke by stroke, the emblems take shape over time; time Rollins spends reflecting on the drug charges that landed him in jail and what the experience has cost him. Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025 Bless the women around me who probably thought some viral disease was taking shape before their very eyes. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2025 The team never intentionally programs with specific themes in mind, but connective threads often emerge as a lineup takes shape. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take shape

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take shape was in 1560

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Cite this Entry

“Take shape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20shape. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.

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