as in forms
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
as in improves
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
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Recent Examples of shapes (up)
Doug Haller, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Get your popcorn, kick up your feet and get ready for what shapes up to be an epic showdown in the Final Four nightcap on Saturday night.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The 75th Florida Derby — a top race that has produced 26 Kentucky Derby winners — shapes up as this year’s biggest prep heading into the May 2 Run for the Roses.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Sunday shapes up to be more than a two-man race.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
What shapes up as an intriguing seventh year under Coach Jordyn Wieber for the University of Arkansas gymnastics team gets rolling Saturday with the season opener at Minnesota.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
The brains of the operation shapes up as a Dimensity 7050 5G processor supported by 12 GB of system RAM (plus a further 24 GB of virtual memory if needed) and 256 GB of storage with microSD expansion to 2 TB.
—New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2026
Talk a little bit about how this shapes up in terms of which party ultimately could have the advantage heading into the midterms.
—NBC news, 2 Nov. 2025
The Verdict This year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup shapes up as one of the deepest renewals in recent memory.
—Jared Welch, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
Let’s take a look at how this one shapes up.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Get your popcorn, kick up your feet and get ready for what shapes up to be an epic showdown in the Final Four nightcap on Saturday night.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The 75th Florida Derby — a top race that has produced 26 Kentucky Derby winners — shapes up as this year’s biggest prep heading into the May 2 Run for the Roses.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Sunday shapes up to be more than a two-man race.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
What shapes up as an intriguing seventh year under Coach Jordyn Wieber for the University of Arkansas gymnastics team gets rolling Saturday with the season opener at Minnesota.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
The brains of the operation shapes up as a Dimensity 7050 5G processor supported by 12 GB of system RAM (plus a further 24 GB of virtual memory if needed) and 256 GB of storage with microSD expansion to 2 TB.
—New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2026
Talk a little bit about how this shapes up in terms of which party ultimately could have the advantage heading into the midterms.
—NBC news, 2 Nov. 2025
The Verdict This year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup shapes up as one of the deepest renewals in recent memory.
—Jared Welch, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shapes (up)
Verb
-
Tucked within the famous wildflower meadows of Paradise is a view of Mount Rainier (the national park is one of our favorite Seattle day trips) and the sprawling Nisqually Glacier that forms the volcano's south side.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
The cosmic web forms the backbone of the universe.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Someone may offer an idea that improves your own, so stay open to where the exchange leads.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
As hardware improves, quantum magnetometers could become standard components in future satellite constellations, delivering high-resolution magnetic data with compact payloads that are much cheaper to lift into orbit.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The action amends the Senate’s conflict-of-interest rules and does not require approval by the House of Representatives.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
-
The Sánchez government's measure was fast-tracked via a decree that amends immigration laws.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There’s that churro bread pudding, the one with a junkyard origin story that breaks down the churros and then reforms them into a dense and perfect block as powerful as an Avengers movie prop.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Kentucky's General Assembly has passed House Bill 2, which reforms the state's Medicaid program.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To understand why Ganymede still behaves like a magnetically active world, researchers built computer models that recreated the moon’s thermal history from its earliest days to the present.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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The result is a condition that behaves less like an isolated skin issue and more like a chronic disease that requires long-term management.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shapes (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shapes%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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