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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The volcanic edifice, composed of a complex succession of lava flows and ash deposits, started to take shape around 100,000 years ago. David Bressan, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 That bill has now made its way to the Senate, where some of the same tensions exist — and new dynamics have begun to take shape. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 3 June 2025 Firmness Slam balls feature a core filled with heavy sand, but some still require inflation with a bicycle tire pump to fully take shape. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 30 May 2025 Then, as the season begins to fill up with new ideas, Marder tries to take the long view in figuring out a season arc that has started to take shape. Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 26 May 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 7 Jun. 2025.

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