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
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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
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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
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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
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Rescue teams, comprising experts from SARA, HM Coastguard Chepstow, and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, worked together to lower a firefighter to the ledge where the dog was trapped.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The suspects were identified and arrested by a task force comprising multiple agencies across Colorado and the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office in California.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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The storm that meteorologists say could rival the damage of a major hurricane is expected to bring snow, ice and frigid temperatures from New Mexico to New England starting Friday.—
John Raby,
Twin Cities,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Bottom line For the first time since starting our Capital One position last March, the company missed earnings estimates.—
,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is a developing story, please check back for updates.—
Mona Darwish,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The Tech Shift Netflix has been making a transition from depending on Microsoft’s technology to developing its own in-house advertising technology stack.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Maryland's redistricting plan shifts state's 1st district on the Eastern Shore —crossing the Bay Bridge — connecting it to Anne Arundel and Howard counties.—
Janay Reece,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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The system offers a choice of audio inputs, has intelligent multi-source switching and multipoint capability for connecting with two Bluetooth devices simultaneously.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nayar assembled a crew including stunt choreographer Kalai Kingson and music composing trio Shankar-Ehsan-Loy.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
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Kurds number some 7 million to 15 million, composing roughly 8% to 17% of the total population.—
Shukriya Bradost,
The Conversation,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 24 Jan. 2026.
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