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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 (up)
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Fifteen players have already committed to play, the event announced Thursday, shaping up a field highlighted by three top-10 players, two Grand Slam champions, four Grand Slam finalists and four former DC Open champions.
—Bailey Johnson, Washington Post, 11 June 2026
But the travel boom is shaping up to look less like one uniform surge and more like a city-by-city, match-by-match test of pricing power.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 10 June 2026
Inflation is shaping up to be a big liability for Republicans during this fall’s midterms.
—Allie Canal, NBC news, 10 June 2026
After some hot, humid and stormy days Thursday and Friday, the weekend is shaping up nicely, with clear skies and temperatures in the 80s expected for Saturday and Sunday.
—Tony Sadiku, CBS News, 10 June 2026
However, Armatus is shaping up to be a much better title.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 10 June 2026
Wednesday was shaping up to be one of the Red Sox’s worst offensive efforts of the season.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
The 2028 Summer Olympics, also known as LA28, are shaping up to be one of the most unconventional Olympic Games in modern history – not because of new stadiums or architectural spectacle, but precisely because of their absence.
—New Atlas, 9 June 2026
Verb
From World Cup soccer to Steven Spielberg’s new space alien movie, this is shaping up as an epic weekend.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Fifteen players have already committed to play, the event announced Thursday, shaping up a field highlighted by three top-10 players, two Grand Slam champions, four Grand Slam finalists and four former DC Open champions.
—Bailey Johnson, Washington Post, 11 June 2026
But the travel boom is shaping up to look less like one uniform surge and more like a city-by-city, match-by-match test of pricing power.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 10 June 2026
Inflation is shaping up to be a big liability for Republicans during this fall’s midterms.
—Allie Canal, NBC news, 10 June 2026
After some hot, humid and stormy days Thursday and Friday, the weekend is shaping up nicely, with clear skies and temperatures in the 80s expected for Saturday and Sunday.
—Tony Sadiku, CBS News, 10 June 2026
However, Armatus is shaping up to be a much better title.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 10 June 2026
Wednesday was shaping up to be one of the Red Sox’s worst offensive efforts of the season.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
The 2028 Summer Olympics, also known as LA28, are shaping up to be one of the most unconventional Olympic Games in modern history – not because of new stadiums or architectural spectacle, but precisely because of their absence.
—New Atlas, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaping (up)
Verb
-
Meanwhile, in swabs from the mummy’s skin, Sarhan and his colleagues found bacteria like Methylobaderium and Sphingomonas, both known for being resilient in tough environments and for forming biofilms.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2026
-
The first season followed Skinner's closeted character, aptly named Benny, arriving at the fictional Yates University for his first year of college and quickly forming a friendship with Carmen (Wally Baram).—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Start by improving your credit score to get it as high as possible.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
That also means improving the quality of the bales that retailers bid on, mostly sight unseen, in what has become a kind of high-stakes lottery.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
His party failed to win a supermajority, barring him from amending the constitution to give up Armenia’s claims to the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a central demand of Azerbaijan as a precondition for a lasting peace deal.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
-
But lawmakers on Monday balked at his plan, amending it to clarify that Floridians with homestead exemptions would still have to pay property taxes that go to schools.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The new chip is designed to eliminate that risk by continuously checking whether its measurement hardware is behaving as expected during operation.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
-
Police released few details about the suspect, described as a man armed with a knife who was behaving erratically.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Now, after tackling what many considered the first impossible mission — reforming the United Nations — Bartos is preparing for what may prove an even harder challenge.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
Xi could alleviate tensions with trading partners and pressures at home by reforming the economy to stimulate more domestic demand, so that Chinese households could buy more Chinese goods.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shaping (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaping%20%28up%29. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
