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
  • As ballot stations opened in Casablanca and Rabat, voters of various ages formed small but continuous lines to cast their ballots.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Anderson formed Buster Brown 1973 and released an album through Michael Gudinski’s Mushroom Records.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • While the ceasefire halted the heaviest fighting and humanitarian conditions have improved, the Israeli military has expanded its control of Gaza and now occupies some 60% of the territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Haddow, a senior fellow on public policy with the association, said he's heard numerous people tell lawmakers over the years how kratom has improved their lives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The bill was amended in May to require that 85% of the funding go to jobs with union-level wages and benefits.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The congress has repeatedly amended the constitution to concentrate power in Ortega’s hands and eliminate any shred of democratic independence and dissent.
    — Sergio R. Bustos, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After a team member behaved in a way that contradicted everything an organization claimed to value.
    — Farida Abjani, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Recent incidents involving models that bypassed safeguards or behaved deceptively have added urgency to the safety debate.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 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 27 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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