shaping

verb

present participle of shape
1
as in adjusting
to change (something) so as to make it suitable for a new use or situation a dress shaped to the customer's particular figure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in planning
to work out the details of (something) in advance over the winter the committee shaped the company's new marketing strategy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 shaping Unveiled last year by Global, the podcast unpacks the biggest stories shaping international affairs, geopolitics and the political landscape. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026 Here are the top four trends shaping the holiday season, according to Michaels. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 26 Oct. 2026 Leaders and teams could direct more of their expertise toward shaping the business, rather than coordinating every detail. — Maria Zhang, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Instead, major powers in each theater will play a more prominent role in guiding projects of regional integration, shaping regional order, and providing public goods. — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026 And a major question shaping the elections is whether the prime minister should be held responsible for the Hamas attacks. — Greg Dixon, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026 That insight is shaping the next chapter of Project Bootstrap. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 Policy Policy Your guide to the Supreme Court, federal courts, judicial nominations, and the legal battles shaping American policy. — Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026 Armstrong Williams examines the issues shaping America’s future, from the approaching midterm elections to the security of essential technology and the health of American families. — Bill Wachsberger, Baltimore Sun, 17 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaping
  1. adjusting
  2. planning
  3. adapting
  4. preparing
  5. tailoring
  6. designing
  7. putting
  8. organizing
Verb
  • By independently adjusting the signals, the team could examine how each component responded.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Ziaire Williams is adjusting to how the NBA is calling flopping this season.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of adjusting
Verb
  • All three men are planning to address the court, and their attorneys will give a presentation on each brother’s behalf, according to court filings.
    — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The company is planning to launch a handful of new shows over the next few months, with a longer-term goal of having 12-16 channels led by creators who are subject matter experts.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of planning
Verb
  • Rising Academies created an AI tool called Rori that generates math and other lessons for students on WhatsApp, adapting the difficulty level based on their responses.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Experts generally attribute the union’s decline since the 1970s to a combination of leadership decisions, demographic shifts toward a more undocumented workforce and growers adapting to UFW’s organizing tactics.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of adapting
Verb
  • States preparing for an imminent war prioritize military mobilization and strategic hardening; Fujian, by contrast, is being developed as a long-term engine of economic integration, innovation, and cross-Strait connectivity.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In an interview with Vogue at Cannes, Hoyeon described spending six months preparing for the action sequences, including firearms training, obtaining a stick-shift driving license, and learning stunt-driving techniques.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of preparing
Verb
  • Changing course so close to the early-decision deadline can be difficult for applicants who have spent months tailoring their applications to a specific Cornell school, a distinctive part of the university's application process, according to Beaton.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
  • As for the tech behind the program, Aescape uses real-time body mapping, physical AI, and robotics with the aim of tailoring each session to the person on the table.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of tailoring
Verb
  • Kennedy will helm a team of producers designing the look and content of dual ceremonies that will kick off the Summer Olympics on July 14, 2028 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • McCormack had a hand in designing some of the company’s first half-dozen restaurants as a contractor, then joined Cheesecake Factory full-time in 1995, a few years after the chain went public.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of designing
Verb
  • Matthieu Blazy did the same thing in reverse at Chanel, putting a pink lace shirt under a great slouchy tweed coat.
    — Laurence Goldberg, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Yoko said her daughter simply tried to prevent an agitated resident from biting others by putting her hand around the person’s chin.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of putting
Verb
  • Her labor-organizing career took root in California’s agriculturally rich Central Valley, and her foundation is headquartered in Bakersfield.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers realized that condensates concentrate molecules, pre-organizing them into a flexible microenvironment without locking them in place like a solid.
    — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of organizing

Browse Nearby Words

shape up
shaping
shaping (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaping. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All