as in forming
to take on a definite form
this group of summer interns is shaping up to be one of the best we've ever hired
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in straightening (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 shaping (up)
Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Hot honey blonde is shaping up to be the color of the season, with tons of celebrities already ditching their icy tones for a warmer shade.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 16 Apr. 2026
So far, things are shaping up in a positive way for enthusiasts and the brand’s faithful fans.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 15 Apr. 2026
Two more rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms could hit Kansas City this week, with the first possible Wednesday and a bigger threat shaping up Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
Chris Jaccarini, senior analyst, food and farming at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said 2026 was shaping up to be another year in which conflict and climate risks have become a costly reality.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
The party in power tends to lose ground in midterm elections, and 2026 is shaping up to likely be no different.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
But the fact that this is shaping up to be another excellent entry for the series is not really a surprise.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2026
Some members of the GOP attribute the state of the race to the fact that Republicans are running in a bad midterm environment that’s shaping up to feel a lot like the 2018 midterms.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
On a stretch of Howell Mill Road, where tech offices meet a rapidly changing Atlanta skyline, a protest planned for Friday is shaping up to be about far more than a single company.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Hot honey blonde is shaping up to be the color of the season, with tons of celebrities already ditching their icy tones for a warmer shade.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 16 Apr. 2026
So far, things are shaping up in a positive way for enthusiasts and the brand’s faithful fans.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 15 Apr. 2026
Two more rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms could hit Kansas City this week, with the first possible Wednesday and a bigger threat shaping up Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
Chris Jaccarini, senior analyst, food and farming at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said 2026 was shaping up to be another year in which conflict and climate risks have become a costly reality.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
The party in power tends to lose ground in midterm elections, and 2026 is shaping up to likely be no different.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
But the fact that this is shaping up to be another excellent entry for the series is not really a surprise.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2026
Some members of the GOP attribute the state of the race to the fact that Republicans are running in a bad midterm environment that’s shaping up to feel a lot like the 2018 midterms.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaping (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaping%20%28up%29. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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