shaped (up) 1 of 2

past tense of shape (up)
as in formed
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

shaped up

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of shape up
as in straightened (up or out)
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shaped (up)
Verb
Frost, who led Nebraska to two national titles as a quarterback, likes the way his quarterback room has shaped up over the past eight months. — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 Stacey Barchenger Warren Petersen and Rodney Glassman crisscrossed the state for more than a year courting Republican voters in what shaped up to be a bruising primary election race. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026 In Texas, a heated and expensive race has shaped up between Democrat James Talarico, a state representative who is facing Republican Ken Paxton, the state attorney general. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 The home has shaped up since then. — Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 4 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 The battle shaped up with 2,800 Americans facing 8,000 Hessians (mercenary soldiers from six German territories in the Holy Roman Empire. — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026 Carl Wilson held a lead Tuesday night in the special election for a City Council seat on Manhattan’s West Side against Lindsey Boylan, in what has shaped up as a proxy battle in the ongoing power struggle between Mayor Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026 After the cold open, however, the episode shaped up to be a solid one. — Charu Sinha, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaped (up)
Verb
  • The stock is on track for its worst annual performance since the automaker was formed through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe in January 2021.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • For decades, being Salvadoran meant being identified as a refugee diaspora escaping a war, and later, an association grew with the street gangs that formed as a result of the displacement.
    — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Ravens are too good at home; the Titans are improved but still struggling to move the ball.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The existing driveway would be improved to separate arena traffic from police department traffic.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • York was initially charged with engaging in prostitution, but prosecutors amended that to disorderly conduct.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Wicks ultimately voted in favor of the bill after policy implications to housing construction were amended out.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The company has since disclosed several additional incidents where its models behaved in unintended ways, prompting industry researchers and government officials to call for additional oversight.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
  • OpenAI has paused training its latest models after agents searching federal websites behaved unexpectedly, including posting publicly available SEC information elsewhere and finding developer keys at the Education Department.
    — Bernard Condon, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shaped (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaped%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!