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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shaping (up)
Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
The United States is facing what’s shaping up to be the largest series of initial public offerings in the history of the modern stock market.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 June 2026
This is shaping up to be a fascinating battle for the championship.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Here’s how the industry reshuffle is shaping up so far.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Nowhere is the ham-handed effort more evident than in Texas, where a blend of culture war grievance and incel-targeting rage have circled the sharp-witted but mild-mannered Talarico, whose campaign is shaping up to be a fundraising juggernaut.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 June 2026
Taylor Swift’s upcoming wedding to NFL superstar Travis Kelce is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about events of 2026.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 2 June 2026
Thursday was shaping up to be a competitive afternoon of baseball at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox and Atlanta Braves tied at 2-2 heading into the sixth inning.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
Boasting a budget of around $120 million, Season 4 is shaping up to be the most ambitious shoot ever to use the festival as its central setting.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 May 2026
Verb
Some voters frustrated by gubernatorial race Tuesday was shaping up to be a busy day at the polls inside the brown brick Coloma Community Center.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
The United States is facing what’s shaping up to be the largest series of initial public offerings in the history of the modern stock market.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 June 2026
This is shaping up to be a fascinating battle for the championship.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Here’s how the industry reshuffle is shaping up so far.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Nowhere is the ham-handed effort more evident than in Texas, where a blend of culture war grievance and incel-targeting rage have circled the sharp-witted but mild-mannered Talarico, whose campaign is shaping up to be a fundraising juggernaut.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 June 2026
Taylor Swift’s upcoming wedding to NFL superstar Travis Kelce is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about events of 2026.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 2 June 2026
Thursday was shaping up to be a competitive afternoon of baseball at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox and Atlanta Braves tied at 2-2 heading into the sixth inning.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
Boasting a budget of around $120 million, Season 4 is shaping up to be the most ambitious shoot ever to use the festival as its central setting.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaping (up)
Verb
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 10 Jun. 2026.
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