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
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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
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Recent Examples of shape (up)
Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
Chris Jaccarini, senior analyst, food and farming at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said 2026 was shaping up to be another year in which conflict and climate risks have become a costly reality.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
The party in power tends to lose ground in midterm elections, and 2026 is shaping up to likely be no different.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
But the fact that this is shaping up to be another excellent entry for the series is not really a surprise.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape (up)
Verb
Two more rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms could hit Kansas City this week, with the first possible Wednesday and a bigger threat shaping up Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
Chris Jaccarini, senior analyst, food and farming at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said 2026 was shaping up to be another year in which conflict and climate risks have become a costly reality.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
The party in power tends to lose ground in midterm elections, and 2026 is shaping up to likely be no different.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
But the fact that this is shaping up to be another excellent entry for the series is not really a surprise.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape (up)
Cite this Entry
“Shape (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shape%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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