shaping (up) 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of shape (up)
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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shaping up

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of shape up
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

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)
Verb
As rising concerns about the cost of everyday goods, including gas and groceries, weigh on household finances, the election is shaping up to be a key test of economic sentiment. — Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,jessica Dickler,sarah Agostino,greg Iacurci,lorie Konish,annie Nova,sharon Epperson,stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026 And that’s what’s fueling what is shaping up to be an extraordinarily strong El Niño. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Kismet has Australia which is shaping up for a $567K opening, ahead of Laika’s Missing Link, Kubo and the Two String and The Boxtrolls. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2026 Even in what is shaping up as a difficult political environment, however, Republicans are protected by the limited number of seats in play. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Georgia Georgia is shaping up to be one of the tightest gubernatorial races in the country. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Funnel neck jackets, which are shaping up to be one of fall’s standout styles. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2026 This week is shaping up to give us a break from the summerlike sweat. — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 The Iran war is shaping up to be the catalyst of a seismic shift in Africa’s energy sector. — semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shaping (up)
  1. forming
  2. improving
  3. amending
  4. behaving
  5. reforming
Verb
  • Agent 12, for example, spent most of its time forming shapes such as a compass or a clock, and figures such as a butterfly or a sailboat.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
  • For a black artist like myself, forming and writing songs for a boy band is a form of code ditching, a way of seizing aesthetics and timbres that have been unduly withheld from my predecessors.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of forming
Verb
  • The performance of hydrocarbons must be considered as part of a wider system that is simultaneously scaling clean electricity input and improving efficiency across the value chain.
    — H.E. Dr Abdulla Saif Al Jarwan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Voters in DeKalb County will decide whether to renew a special one-cent sales tax that goes toward improving schools.
    — Emily McLeod, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of improving
Verb
  • In 1990, Congress considered amending the CAA so that the EPA could substitute itself and take control of citizen suits over alleged violations.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Independent experts have also called for amending building codes to require long-term monitoring of settlement.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of amending
Verb
  • Why 2026 is different Nonetheless, analysts CNBC spoke to broadly agreed that reforms meant that even if the market is behaving in similar ways to the post-financial crisis period, the contagion risk remained limited this time around.
    — Jenni Reid,Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Congress should hold hearings focused on companies cutting corners, not AI programs behaving badly.
    — David Litt, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of behaving
Verb
  • Since reforming and opening up its economy in the late 1970s, China has barreled its way to becoming the world’s second-largest economy, with hundreds of millions lifted out of poverty and a nation transformed.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Over time, the objectives of this opposition have shifted from reforming the regime to challenging its authority.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of reforming

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shaping (up)
shaping up
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Cite this Entry

“Shaping (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shaping%20%28up%29. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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