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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shaped (up)
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
Saturday’s matchup shaped up to be another back-and-forth affair.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
The change in plans shaped up to be a huge hit.
—CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Throw in an attempt to help part of Illinois secede and join the Hoosier state and visits from everyone from Tucker Carlson to JD Vance, and 2025 has shaped up to be quite a barn burner.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 24 Oct. 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
Verb
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
Saturday’s matchup shaped up to be another back-and-forth affair.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
The change in plans shaped up to be a huge hit.
—CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Throw in an attempt to help part of Illinois secede and join the Hoosier state and visits from everyone from Tucker Carlson to JD Vance, and 2025 has shaped up to be quite a barn burner.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 24 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaped (up)
Verb
-
Known as Complex 571-7, the site is the last remaining Titan II missile complex left intact from a network of 54 facilities that once formed a key part of America’s nuclear deterrent.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
-
That reconciliation, and the ones that followed with his siblings, formed the other piece of his recovery.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Past research has shown that breast cancer patients who lose weight through treatment or surgery have improved heart health and longevity.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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All the same, the team improved dramatically right away, posting its first winning season in the Sacramento era and losing a thrilling first-round playoff series to the Utah Jazz.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The law has been amended, most recently in 1982.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Soil Cucumbers like rich soil that is amended with compost, says Hélèna Dove, head kitchen gardener at Kew Gardens.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The French had behaved differently than the British under Amherst did; the French had played by Indigenous rules.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
The same companies that once behaved like a single trade are being pushed into very different economic paths, and the next phase of returns will depend on those differences rather than the label that once grouped them together.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaped (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaped%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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