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
Hormones also modulate long-term brain function, shaping new synapses and circuits that leave a lifelong blueprint for behaviour.
—
Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The growing embrace of adornment in menswear also played a role in shaping the collection.
—Karin Eldor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Their preferences include authentic storytelling, clean formulations and culturally resonant branding, which is shaping product pipelines and marketing strategies.
—Fmg Studios, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Hosted by The Times’ Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito, the new weekly video podcast will feature unfiltered conversations with Latino tastemakers across news, music and culture who are shaping the modern American experience.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
The lesson Gen Z drew from the smartphone era—that moving fast and breaking things includes breaking people—appears to be shaping a more preemptively cautious posture toward AI.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Trump has not endorsed a candidate in Georgia’s Senate race, despite aggressively shaping Republican primaries elsewhere.
—Nik Popli, Time, 20 May 2026
Executives said that changes to margin and cost strategies will be the second-most important theme shaping the industry in 2026 — second only to trade disruptions like tariffs, the report found.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 20 May 2026
Golden State Warriors star Curry will make special appearances in select projects, while taking an active role in shaping the creative direction, talent relationships and cultural lens for the JV.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The growing embrace of adornment in menswear also played a role in shaping the collection.
—Karin Eldor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Their preferences include authentic storytelling, clean formulations and culturally resonant branding, which is shaping product pipelines and marketing strategies.
—Fmg Studios, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Hosted by The Times’ Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito, the new weekly video podcast will feature unfiltered conversations with Latino tastemakers across news, music and culture who are shaping the modern American experience.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
The lesson Gen Z drew from the smartphone era—that moving fast and breaking things includes breaking people—appears to be shaping a more preemptively cautious posture toward AI.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 May 2026
Trump has not endorsed a candidate in Georgia’s Senate race, despite aggressively shaping Republican primaries elsewhere.
—Nik Popli, Time, 20 May 2026
Executives said that changes to margin and cost strategies will be the second-most important theme shaping the industry in 2026 — second only to trade disruptions like tariffs, the report found.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 20 May 2026
Golden State Warriors star Curry will make special appearances in select projects, while taking an active role in shaping the creative direction, talent relationships and cultural lens for the JV.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaping
Verb
-
Google has been able to grow its search advertising revenue while adjusting the product into more of a chatbot experience, in a bid to compete with OpenAI and Anthropic PBC.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
Hunting EVs metals To address the issue, the team designed an adaptive extraction plant capable of adjusting process parameters and chemical additives based on the composition of local thermal waters.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Many four-year colleges have been planning for such a transition for years.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
Too bad then that the man holding a debt over his head (Jonathan Coyne) is actually planning on offing him in his last match.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
As the federal government halts plans to address climate change, states, cities, regions, and even neighborhoods are trying to fill the gap by cutting climate pollution and adapting to extreme weather.—
David Condos,
NPR,
19 May 2026
-
The project, called RoSA, short for Robot Scientific Assistant for Accelerating Experimental Workflows, aims to create robots capable of working alongside scientists in real laboratory environments while adapting to changing conditions and different types of experiments.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Beyond the longstanding economic embargo and an oil blockade that has pushed the island’s energy crisis to its limits, the United States is preparing an indictment against former President Raúl Castro, according to sources.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
All rights reserved SpaceX is preparing for the next major test of its Starship launch system, with liftoff targeted for Tuesday evening from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Joy and Jill are the fourth generation of a tailoring family that, up until five years ago, had only focused on menswear.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
Even in the United States, his student turned assistant Henry LeTang became the tap teacher to hundreds, from starlets needing tailoring to the great Gregory Hines.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The family cat has been missing for week, compounding the agony of losing her 7-year-old son Kakeru in a freak accident two years before, but Otone puts it to one side and continues with her latest project, designing a bespoke home for a fussy married couple.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
-
Momcozy has leaned into this shift by designing products that prioritize both function and form.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Using the latest version of Epic’s Unreal Engine, each Smugglers Run locale is heavily detailed, putting us in more of a dogfight as the Mandalorian chases down pirates and ex-Imperial officers.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
-
Still, from December and March, Leonard was one of the best players in the NBA, playing enough games to qualify for end-of-season awards while largely putting his knee issues behind him.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
On top of that, the permanent staff organizing the fest and the Marché du Film is now over 50 percent female, including in leadership positions.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
High turnout, civic engagement, and community organizing still matter.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaping. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
