forms 1 of 2

plural of form
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as in documents
a piece of paper with information written or to be written on it I filled out all the forms for applying to the school

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as in figures
a three-dimensional representation of the human body used especially for displaying clothes put the dress on the form to finish pinning it together

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4
as in rituals
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules we'll use the second form in our church missals for today's Lenten service

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as in physiques
the type of body that a person has he has the big-boned form of a linebacker

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7
as in formats
the way in which the elements of something (as a work of art) are arranged museumgoers liked the asymmetrical form of the mobile

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forms

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of form
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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 forms
Noun
There is no set temperature at which one forms, Giannaros said; what is needed is the kind of atmosphere that breeds dry thunderstorms — very hot, very dry air near the ground, with cooler and moister air above it. Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Whether through live showcases, immersive presentations, interactive demonstrations or other forms of audience engagement, creating an emotional connection early can become a meaningful competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded marketplace. E'ian West, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 French law allows businesses to cut 60 percent of taxes from certain forms of financial support for the arts, if considered beneficial to the public. Devorah Lauter For Artnews, Robb Report, 29 July 2026 Various Maji clans such as the Omi Clan, or Maji of Water, and Ikú Clan, or Maji of Life and Death, practice different forms of magic, with Omi Tiders wielding waves and Ikù Reapers, like Zelie’s mother, summoning souls. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 July 2026 Practitioners must also administer informed consent forms before proceeding with any sort of treatment, under Florida law. Ella Moore july 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026 Critics have also argued that the deferrals delay legitimate payments to vulnerable groups, and could ultimately lead to higher costs for taxpayers if providers reduce services and patients are forced to turn to more expensive forms of care. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 July 2026
Verb
As required by the Lead and Copper Rule, the Philadelphia Water Department’s treatment includes corrosion control that forms a protective coating on the inside of pipes. Christine Kirchhoff, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 The installation forms one part of Frogner Park, one of Oslo’s busiest recreational spaces, where monumental art sits alongside picnics, exercise, family outings and ordinary neighborhood life. David Nikel, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 That timeline forms the man who, between 1978 and 1995, killed three people and injured more than 20 others in increasingly sophisticated mail-bombing incidents. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 July 2026 This kind of information retrieval and provision forms the basis of pro-worker AI. Daron Acemoglu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Murashige forms an uneasy alliance with the prisoner Kanbei Kuroda (Suda Masaki), a war strategist of a rival clan who was spared by Murashige, to help solve the murders. Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 27 July 2026 The material naturally forms stacks with narrow spaces, or channels, between its layers. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026 When comets come around the sun, the dust emitted as the debris collides with Earth's atmosphere forms a trail that creates fiery, colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 July 2026 Insider tip Be sure to take a ride on the hotel's original timber elevator that forms the focal point of the lobby, with its filigree frame and open sides. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forms
Noun
  • Absentees and shifting shapes Naturally for a pre-season game, when players are at varying stages of fitness, some of the biggest headlines were about who wasn’t involved.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Secondhand furniture and decor introduce unusual shapes, aged finishes and handmade details that give a room real character.
    Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • On Friday, Tench was arrested on 99 felony charges, which include 33 counts of bid-rigging, 33 of first-degree forgery and 33 of filing false documents.
    Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer Seth Elliott used confidential police databases to let a drug dealer know about undercover police who were trying to buy drugs, court documents allege.
    Julia Coin Updated July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • Headline figures such as tasks completed, queries handled or hours saved can look impressive while concealing errors, rework, poor customer outcomes and escalating operating expenses.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Amkor Technology — Shares dropped 7% as the semiconductor packaging and testing provider gets set to report quarterly figures after the stock market closes.
    Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • Identify any gaps where anxiety or doubt might take hold, and suggest three specific rituals or habits that would create more stability and cohesion without adding unnecessary noise.
    Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, an emerging beauty crossover — whereby eyewear forms a part of daily rituals — opens new avenues for growth.
    Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • More qubits could make the problem worse The team analyzed the adiabatic version of Grover’s search algorithm, a famous quantum algorithm that searches unsorted databases much faster than classical methods.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026
  • Researchers are now evaluating various biomarkers as candidates for the development of better diagnostic methods or to define subgroups.
    Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • The Westminster Christian grad, 50, has long been linked to women who take serious care of their physiques.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • They’ve been specially designed in sizes that acknowledge that the world includes people with different physiques, but where their faces would be, there’s a mirror.
    Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • Highstar introduced tabless cylindrical cells in 18650 and 21700 formats.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026
  • When a 3-4 formation OLB like Watt classified as a linebacker, there weren’t enough reliable starters up front to go around in even standard formats.
    Gary Davenport, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Verb
  • Whitehead, meanwhile, crystalizes his sense of what makes the city run, where Carney fits in, and how the straight and crooked worlds are entwined in one strange ecosystem with laws that only the lawless can enforce.
    David Hajdu, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
  • Corgan, The Smashing Pumpkins frontman, gives an answer here that crystallizes one of baseball’s many charms.
    Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 15 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Forms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forms. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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