as in formed
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1
as in adapted
to change (something) so as to make it suitable for a new use or situation
a dress shaped to the customer's particular figure
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2
as in designed
to work out the details of (something) in advance
over the winter the committee shaped the company's new marketing strategy
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Recent Examples of shaped
Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
The rest were horseshoe-shaped.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Still, the imbalance in the economy — also known as K-shaped — means that’s more true for wealthier Americans than for low-income folks.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Connecticut high school football lost one of its true giants with the passing of Coach Jude Kelly — a man who transformed programs, shaped communities, and changed lives.
—Mario Diloreto, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
The flowers are small, reddish-pink, and spike-shaped, growing in tight clusters on tapered stems, accompanied by attractive waxy leaves.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
The tabletop sits on a sturdy cross-shaped base and resists scratches and stains.
—Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026
The spacecraft saw an arching filament made from entwined magnetic fields carrying plasma and connected to a cross-shaped region of magnetic activity laced with more magnetic field lines.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Clostridium botulinum is a rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium that can produce botulinum toxins under low-oxygen conditions, according to the USDA.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2026
At the podium, Li read out a letter from Xi, which described ancient Greece and China as two civilizations that have shaped humanity’s development from opposite sides of Eurasia.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
William Grimes wrote before that moment, introducing a distinctly American voice shaped by the horrors of enslavement in the South and the precariousness of freedom in the North.
—Regina E. Mason, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
These are real people whose futures are shaped by whether laboratories on the other side of the world remain standing.
—Dave Doneson, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Raspberry thorns are soft and fuzzy, and blackberry thorns are meaner and hook-shaped.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
De La Salle’s Chaden Harvey wanted to pay the ultimate tribute to the players who shaped him.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
How Atlanta shaped the country’s youth soccer program.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Colleagues say that background in classrooms and school leadership has shaped Chait’s approach to running the district.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Taking on debt The bottom tier of the E-shaped economy is characterized by high credit card usage and Buy Now, Pay Later usage, Long says.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
The rest were horseshoe-shaped.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Still, the imbalance in the economy — also known as K-shaped — means that’s more true for wealthier Americans than for low-income folks.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Connecticut high school football lost one of its true giants with the passing of Coach Jude Kelly — a man who transformed programs, shaped communities, and changed lives.
—Mario Diloreto, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
The flowers are small, reddish-pink, and spike-shaped, growing in tight clusters on tapered stems, accompanied by attractive waxy leaves.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026
The tabletop sits on a sturdy cross-shaped base and resists scratches and stains.
—Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026
The spacecraft saw an arching filament made from entwined magnetic fields carrying plasma and connected to a cross-shaped region of magnetic activity laced with more magnetic field lines.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Clostridium botulinum is a rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium that can produce botulinum toxins under low-oxygen conditions, according to the USDA.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Residents' routines are shaped by caution and vigilance, and QueenEr'Re's death revived longstanding questions about safety and the city's efforts to address violence.
—Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2026
At the podium, Li read out a letter from Xi, which described ancient Greece and China as two civilizations that have shaped humanity’s development from opposite sides of Eurasia.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
William Grimes wrote before that moment, introducing a distinctly American voice shaped by the horrors of enslavement in the South and the precariousness of freedom in the North.
—Regina E. Mason, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
These are real people whose futures are shaped by whether laboratories on the other side of the world remain standing.
—Dave Doneson, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Raspberry thorns are soft and fuzzy, and blackberry thorns are meaner and hook-shaped.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2026
De La Salle’s Chaden Harvey wanted to pay the ultimate tribute to the players who shaped him.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
How Atlanta shaped the country’s youth soccer program.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Colleagues say that background in classrooms and school leadership has shaped Chait’s approach to running the district.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaped
Adjective
-
When decisions arrive pre-formed, discernment fades.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
-
For a fresh look, add ornamental grasses, which create a more natural look than a formed hedge.—
Kelley Bruss,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some questions may be adapted into full columns, and transcripts of the chats remain available after each session concludes.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Cronin has a controversial reputation, but his players have adapted and thrived under him.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The problem with quantum phase estimation The second algorithm analyzed, QPE, is designed for future fault-tolerant quantum computers that can correct their own errors.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The warnings of mass surveillance, the senior Administration official familiar with the negotiations told me, were a public-relations move designed to capitalize on widespread anti-ICE sentiment.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
MaiaSpace, a French ArianeGroup subsidiary, has adjusted its timeline, now aiming for an inaugural launch in early 2027.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
None adjusted easily to her height or her husband's for shaving.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
City records from November show police planned to install six more cameras and increase lighting.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In 2012, Hezbollah planned and executed a suicide bombing on a bus in Burgas, Bulgaria, that was carrying Israeli tourists, killing six and injuring dozens more.—
Colin P. Clarke,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
McManus infused her signature design and styling details—lace, exquisite craft by way of macramé, and not-so-girly pink—into Phelps’s penchant for clean lines, tailored denim, and sharp details.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Modern air power has become more and more precise, and further empowered by weapons that are tailored for various effects.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The drone attack killed nine people, including three children, and injured at least eight others as the leader of the Simon Pele gang prepared to distribute gifts to children in the area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
While the properly prepared, boiled three times, tender spring leaves of this plant are the main ingredient in poke sallet, a fixture of Southern cuisine, the plant is truly toxic.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sharpe said traditionally French cuisine has been looked at as the standard, and chefs have conformed to fit that standard.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Martin highlighted the findings, which mostly conformed to his expectations but still surprised him in the magnitude of the angst over the work situationship.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaped. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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