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)
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Nowhere is the ham-handed effort more evident than in Texas, where a blend of culture war grievance and incel-targeting rage have circled the sharp-witted but mild-mannered Talarico, whose campaign is shaping up to be a fundraising juggernaut.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 June 2026
Like so many Bay Area voters, Wagner opted to hold his vote and watch how the close race for governor shaped up — particularly on the Democratic side, where a throng of candidates competed fiercely for voters and resisted the calls of party leaders to drop out.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
So far 2026 is shaping up to be the worst summer job market in nearly eight decades.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape (up)
Verb
Here’s how the industry reshuffle is shaping up so far.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Nowhere is the ham-handed effort more evident than in Texas, where a blend of culture war grievance and incel-targeting rage have circled the sharp-witted but mild-mannered Talarico, whose campaign is shaping up to be a fundraising juggernaut.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 June 2026
Like so many Bay Area voters, Wagner opted to hold his vote and watch how the close race for governor shaped up — particularly on the Democratic side, where a throng of candidates competed fiercely for voters and resisted the calls of party leaders to drop out.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
So far 2026 is shaping up to be the worst summer job market in nearly eight decades.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shape (up)
Verb
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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
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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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But Intel still faces major challenges, particularly in its chip-manufacturing foundry business, which has struggled to add more clients and improve production quality, analysts said.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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By shrinking the motor footprint, manufacturers can free up valuable chassis space, improve overall packaging efficiency, and potentially enhance vehicle performance and range through better system integration.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The essential nature of magic especially intrigues physicists like Swingle, who hope to use it on a quantum computer to simulate how gravity behaves in situations where general relativity fails.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 June 2026
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Germany was the host country of the 2024 European Championships, and the Kansas City police went to view how soccer fans behave.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Verb
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On Monday, SpaceX amended its initial public offering to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
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The condo’s founding documents required 100% unit owner approval to terminate the condo association, so the developer tried to use its majority vote to amend that threshold.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The chain is looking to focus on menu innovation — like bettering its McCrispy chicken line — and improve kitchen operations.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
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Arsenal’s 79 final-third regains are only bettered by PSG and Bayern this season in the Champions League, and a quarter of them have led to shots.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Hudson has offered a more moderate approach, saying the Senate should reform the process into a talking filibuster to allow Republicans to push the SAVE Act.—
Joseph Nepomuceno,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
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Their push to reform the state’s 2008 Biometric Information Privacy Act — which allows people to sue companies for collecting personal data without informed consent — went nowhere.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shape (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shape%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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