as in to form
to take on a definite form
this group of summer interns is shaping up to be one of the best we've ever hired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to improve
to change one's behavior or character for the better
told his son that if he didn't shape up, he'd be grounded for a month
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shape (up)
Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
According to basically every celebrity and It girl, the nostalgic bottoms are shaping up to be the cool-girl staple of the summer.
—Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 25 May 2026
The hire is the first significant move of what is shaping up to be a consequential offseason for the Lakers both on and off the court.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
This summer is already shaping up to be the polar opposite of the last, when Chelsea exerted themselves deep into July to become Club World Cup winners.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape (up)
Verb
The travel baseball industry was rocked over the Memorial Day weekend by yet another shocking incident in what is shaping up to be one of the ugliest on record for youth baseball.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
According to basically every celebrity and It girl, the nostalgic bottoms are shaping up to be the cool-girl staple of the summer.
—Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 25 May 2026
The hire is the first significant move of what is shaping up to be a consequential offseason for the Lakers both on and off the court.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
This summer is already shaping up to be the polar opposite of the last, when Chelsea exerted themselves deep into July to become Club World Cup winners.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shape (up)
Verb
-
For Kokopeli’s generation, this was the moment when the identity-forming operations of consumer choice swung fully into gear.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
On June 9, for instance, Venus will meet with Jupiter in Cancer, forming one of the most auspicious transits of the season.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Verb
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And access to health care and drinking water should be improved.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
-
Lewis was unapologetic about his efforts to use the courts as a vehicle for improving the lives of ordinary Floridians, and especially those who struggled.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Verb
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To think that the last girl in the Usui line would behave with such depravity!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Having aircraft of different sizes makes coordinated flight challenging because larger and smaller aircraft behave differently in the air.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The law has been amended, most recently in 1982.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Soil Cucumbers like rich soil that is amended with compost, says Hélèna Dove, head kitchen gardener at Kew Gardens.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet Hull scored 70 of their own in an intrepid season, bettering the return managed in any of the club’s previous three promotions from the Championship in 2008, 2013 and 2016.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
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Maybe that is a bit of a distraction from what the end goal actually is, which is to better the supply chain.—
Kate Nishimura,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
During his tenure on the state’s highest court, Lewis saw it as his duty to reform legal practices and barriers that prevented people with special needs from accessing services and protections that other Floridians took for granted.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Hilton proposes to reform the California Environmental Quality Act so that only government prosecutors can sue, preventing private individuals and organizations from stopping or delaying new housing projects.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shape (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shape%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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