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
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Recent Examples of shaped (up)
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
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
Verb
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaped (up)
Verb
-
Some are visible in the sky, some carved into stone, some hidden beneath the sea, and others formed by fire or water.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
-
On Monday, a nearby mesoscale convective system – essentially a complex of thunderstorms that has formed its own low pressure system – is providing just enough low-level spin and rising air for a few funnel clouds or landspouts to develop.—
Kylee Miller,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
With the win, the Fever improved to 6-5 ahead of their next game on Thursday against the Chicago Sky.—
Ian Miller,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Consecutive weeks of May showers dropped 6-10 inches of rain and significantly improved drought conditions in central and North Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.—
Alex Nettles,
AJC.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The federal lawsuit filed last November and amended in March lists as its defendants Proctor; MSP Sgt.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
In a proactive effort to further monitor fire-prone areas, the Santee City Council amended an agreement with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office on May 13 to allow the addition of 17 surveillance cameras at parks, trails and preserves.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
The initial aim was to discover if all hot planets had winds that behaved the same.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Shaped (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaped%20%28up%29. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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