1
as in health
a state of being or fitness she was in good shape after having worked outdoors all summer long
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2
as in form
the outward appearance of something as distinguished from its substance that part of the state is known as the panhandle because of its shape
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to adapt
to change (something) so as to make it suitable for a new use or situation a dress shaped to the customer's particular figure
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2
as in to plan
to work out the details of (something) in advance over the winter the committee shaped the company's new marketing strategy
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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 shape
Giana Levy, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026 The indoor pavilion is taking shape with limestone walls and a lumber interior. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Marianna Cerini, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026 Those three words — which end up being alien, glamorous, and whipped — will shape their dishes. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shape
Noun
The horror film, which is directed by James Watkins, will track the origins of the shape-shifting villain, played by Tom Rhys Harries. —Giana Levy, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026 The indoor pavilion is taking shape with limestone walls and a lumber interior. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
Among those who helped shape the curation were design duo Tipstudio, which oversaw the exhibition design; French artist JR, who contributed a site-specific installation magnifying the artisans’ faces across the building’s façade; and Vanity Fair Italia, which produced the show. —Marianna Cerini, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026 Those three words — which end up being alien, glamorous, and whipped — will shape their dishes. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shape
Noun
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Angelita Soriano, a spokesperson for the No Data Center group, asked Huddlestun to provide residents with an independent health impact study of the future site of the Amazon data center planned at 61st Avenue and Colorado Street.— Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
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Pablo Alvarado and Lolo Cutumay were among a small group of workers who formed the band in the mid 1990s after one of them witnessed immigration agents raid a site where day laborers were lining up for free health services.— Adrian Florido, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Nowhere has the flipping of the form books been more striking than in La Liga, where two weekends ago — for only the third time in history — each of the bottom five teams picked up maximum points.— Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
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According to the World Health Organization, ageism is the most widespread — and socially accepted — form of prejudice today.— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But with Thieneman and McNeil-Warren off the board, the Bears add a pass rusher instead with Young, who has a physique like he’s built in a lab.— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
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Amachree’s physique that has caught the attention of KU’s coaching staff and teammates alike.— Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Although the study focused on dysprosium, the researchers believe the technique can be adapted to detect other rare-earth elements such as terbium, europium, erbium, and neodymium.— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
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Spaces like the kitchen—once divided into separate rooms for staff—were opened up, while outdoor areas were adapted for entertaining, including the addition of a large pool and gathering spaces.— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The royal family has a slate of events planned for April 21, Queen Elizabeth's centenary.— Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
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Artworks that were planned to go on display at Art Basel Hong Kong ended up stuck at sea for more than a month en route from Abu Dhabi, according to Jerome Sozzi, general manager of Bonds Fine Art Logistics in Hong Kong, after the US sank an Iranian frigate in the waters off Sri Lanka on March 4.— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Inside the capsule, the team assessed the astronauts' condition following exposure to microgravity, radiation and the stresses of reentry, before assisting them onto a platform outside.— Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
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In her letter, Davids reiterated that balloon data is essential to understanding atmospheric conditions in real time.— Matthew Kelly April 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To overcome these limitations, researchers propose constructing a continuous field of local reference frames guided by surface geometry and keypoints.— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
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The iconic flacon features a signature dip designed to evoke a woman’s decollete neckline, while its clean silhouette draws inspiration from the geometry of Roman columns.— Anne Bratskeir, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the bottom of the frame, a double by Mickey Moniak, followed by an RBI single by rookie TJ Rumfield cut Los Angeles’ lead to 2-1.— Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
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Minnesota went 6 for 23 from the field and logged just two assists to four turnovers in the deciding frame of a 116-105 Game 1 loss at Ball Arena.— Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/shape. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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