as in to form
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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as in to improve
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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Examples of shape (up) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Oct. 2024
The year as a whole is shaping up to be one of the slowest on record as well.
Fewer than 119,000 properties changed hands during the first eight months of the year, making 2024 the second-slowest year in records dating back to 1988.
—Jeff Collins, Orange County Register, 9 Oct. 2024
Pity the residents of Chicago, who were never even offered a seat at the table in what is shaping up to be an act of corrupt self-dealing notable even in the history of a city famous for it.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 Oct. 2024
Here’s What To Do In fact, 2024 is shaping up to be the best presidential election year for stocks in nearly 90 years.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shape (up) 
Verb
The Oasis reunion tour is already shaping up to be the biggest concert experience of 2025, with U.S. tour dates recently added and thousands of fans scrambling to nab seats online.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Oct. 2024
The year as a whole is shaping up to be one of the slowest on record as well.
Fewer than 119,000 properties changed hands during the first eight months of the year, making 2024 the second-slowest year in records dating back to 1988.
—Jeff Collins, Orange County Register, 9 Oct. 2024
Pity the residents of Chicago, who were never even offered a seat at the table in what is shaping up to be an act of corrupt self-dealing notable even in the history of a city famous for it.
—The Editors, National Review, 8 Oct. 2024
Here’s What To Do In fact, 2024 is shaping up to be the best presidential election year for stocks in nearly 90 years.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shape (up)
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shape (up).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Shape (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shape%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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