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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of shape (up)
Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
And how does next year shape up?
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Now, how might these new chips shape up in terms of performance?
—Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
If Joe Burrow were playing, this could have shaped up to be a barnburner a la December along the Ohio River.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shape (up)
Verb
Brodin’s availability plays a role in how the roster shapes up.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
And how does next year shape up?
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Now, how might these new chips shape up in terms of performance?
—Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
If Joe Burrow were playing, this could have shaped up to be a barnburner a la December along the Ohio River.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 29 Sep. 2025
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 16 Oct. 2025.
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