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 Watch on Deadline The roster has taken shape under the aegis of Helen Estabrook, Global Head of Film & Television, and Sarah Amos, VP, Development and Production (Non-Fiction TV, Documentaries). Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin, the group’s current chair, declared Thursday that a new multipolar world order is taking shape before our eyes. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2024 Amazon Fresh coming to Fountain Valley Fountain Valley’s first Amazon Fresh is taking shape in a shuttered Office Depot on Brookhurst Street. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 21 Oct. 2024 With just 16 days until Election Day, the candidates’ closing arguments are starting to take shape. NBC News, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take shape 

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

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near take shape

Cite this Entry

“Take shape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20shape. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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