1
as in crystallizing
to take on a definite form
my ideas on the subject are just starting to form
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in comprising
to be all the substance of
this one sentence really forms the basis of your argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in producing
to bring into being by combining, shaping, or transforming materials
formed the pot out of the clay
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in starting
to come into existence
the new company formed from two smaller ones
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in developing
to come to have gradually
I don't want you beginning skiers to form any bad habits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of forming
These atoms scatter ultraviolet sunlight, forming a faint halo around Earth.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
The trio of enterprising young musicians decided to cast their fortunes together by forming a band which, after enlisting Cameron Picton (another BRIT classmate) on a range of instruments from bass guitar to flute, became Black Midi.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The strike was taking place at Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Sheffield says Schafer will also oversee the Detroit Health Department, the Office of Immigrant Affairs and the brand-new office that her administration is forming called the Human Homeless and Family Services Department.
—Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Remove excess moisture to prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 11 Jan. 2026
Keeping the seal dry will help prevent mildew from forming.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 10 Jan. 2026
Why sit on the sidelines when the relationship is already forming?
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
During a week-long trial, the prosecution showed jurors text messages and other digital evidence that showed Urick and his girlfriend, Tara King, forming a detailed plan to rob and murder Tammy.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
The trio of enterprising young musicians decided to cast their fortunes together by forming a band which, after enlisting Cameron Picton (another BRIT classmate) on a range of instruments from bass guitar to flute, became Black Midi.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The strike was taking place at Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Sheffield says Schafer will also oversee the Detroit Health Department, the Office of Immigrant Affairs and the brand-new office that her administration is forming called the Human Homeless and Family Services Department.
—Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Remove excess moisture to prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface.
—Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 11 Jan. 2026
Keeping the seal dry will help prevent mildew from forming.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 10 Jan. 2026
Why sit on the sidelines when the relationship is already forming?
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
During a week-long trial, the prosecution showed jurors text messages and other digital evidence that showed Urick and his girlfriend, Tara King, forming a detailed plan to rob and murder Tammy.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forming
Verb
-
Photograph from Bettmann / Getty Was the Goetz incident a genuinely significant event, crystallizing something that was passing through the city, and perhaps is still with us today?—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
In this toxic blend, where arsenic reaches deadly concentrations, Li and his team found that the worm has a unique method of crystallizing arsenic inside its own cells to neutralize toxicity.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The House passed the first minibus, comprising the Commerce, Justice, and Science, Energy and Water, and the Interior and Environment bills, last week.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Jan. 2026
-
These search terms were then grouped into seven core categories, comprising health and fitness, financial goals, career, breaking bad habits, social and relationships, and hobbies.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
However, the process of producing HBM memory is much more demanding than that for memory used in most consumer electronics.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
-
His family said Moon often melded his faith with his love and his connections in the music world, from producing church musical events to introduce fellow worshipers to new forms of Christian music to directing his church’s youth ministry alongside his wife when his children were younger.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ryan Kalkbrenner also returned to the lineup after missing two weeks of action and played in the past two matchups, serving as the backup center in Utah and in the first half against the Clippers before being reinserted into Hornets’ starting unit in the second half.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Then, Boston’s starting guards assumed control, with White and Pritchard combining to score their team’s final 11 points of the first half.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sensory design has played an enormous role in developing this new identity for the bathroom, and the 2026 NKBA Bath Trends Report shows that numerous sensory trends are expected to continue gaining mainstream traction.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
While developing a proposal for Arrowhead, LeVota said, the county plans to reach out to business district leaders and business owners near the stadium, along with potential outside entities with development expertise.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The neighborhood/area The hotel has a plum position on the Eendrachtsplein, a buzzy town square in the heart of the city with trams, buses, and a metro line connecting it to all corners of town.—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The film stars Sally Field as a widow who bonds with a giant Pacific octopus, while also connecting with a young man (Lewis Pullman) in need of direction.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As a newcomer to composing and arranging for strings, Simon benefitted greatly by working with a group readily available for consultation and collaboration.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Azar says the whole process only takes her 10 minutes, from searching for the email, composing it, to hitting send.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Garcia was last seen making a purchase at a local grocery store — identified by CBS affiliate KREM as a Rosauer's — in the evening hours of July 6, 2016, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Barra says the focus now is on making cars more affordable, incorporating artificial intelligence and new technology like Google Gemini to make the vehicles safer and appealing to the consumer.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forming. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share