: a system of hiring workers and especially longshoremen by the day or shift by having applicants gather for each day's selection
also
: an instance of such hiring practice
shaped up; shaping up; shapes up
: to improve to a good or acceptable condition or standard of behavior
shaping up at the gym
: to bring to a good or acceptable condition or standard of behavior
Examples of shape-up in a Sentence
Verb
told his son that if he didn't shape up, he'd be grounded for a month
this group of summer interns is shaping up to be one of the best we've ever hired
Recent Examples on the Web
A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez, Parents, 7 Dec. 2023
Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 9 May 2024
This is shaping up to be a hellacious summer, even by Lone Star standards.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 9 May 2024
The appeal could significantly delay the trial, possibly until after the Nov. 5 election that is shaping up to be a Biden-Trump rematch.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
The album is shaping up to be Timberlake’s first real bomb, having just been released in March and — shockingly — already fallen out of the Billboard 200.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
As the Bears get ready to take their rebuild to the next level, here’s a look at how their roster has shaped up since free agency and the draft — and whether each position group looks better, worse or the same as in 2023.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024
Even so, Thornton is encouraged by how things are shaping up for the 2024 edition.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2024
The one-day festival, which was supposed to begin at noon on Saturday in Las Vegas, was shaping up to be a millennial mixtape dream come true with headlining sets from Usher, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson and Alicia Keys.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 4 May 2024
His re-election fight against former President Donald J. Trump — his 13th bid for federal office, all told — is shaping up to be the opposite of those long-ago Senate campaigns: travel-intensive, nasty and close.
—Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 2 May 2024
Noun
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut Is there anything more powerful than a fresh shape-up?
—A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez, Parents, 7 Dec. 2023
Verb
The state's new legislative district maps are expected to create more competitive races for seats in Madison, and there is an interesting race shaping up in Racine County in a district held by a leading Democrat.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 9 May 2024
This is shaping up to be a hellacious summer, even by Lone Star standards.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 9 May 2024
The appeal could significantly delay the trial, possibly until after the Nov. 5 election that is shaping up to be a Biden-Trump rematch.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
The album is shaping up to be Timberlake’s first real bomb, having just been released in March and — shockingly — already fallen out of the Billboard 200.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
As the Bears get ready to take their rebuild to the next level, here’s a look at how their roster has shaped up since free agency and the draft — and whether each position group looks better, worse or the same as in 2023.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024
Even so, Thornton is encouraged by how things are shaping up for the 2024 edition.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2024
The one-day festival, which was supposed to begin at noon on Saturday in Las Vegas, was shaping up to be a millennial mixtape dream come true with headlining sets from Usher, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson and Alicia Keys.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 4 May 2024
His re-election fight against former President Donald J. Trump — his 13th bid for federal office, all told — is shaping up to be the opposite of those long-ago Senate campaigns: travel-intensive, nasty and close.
—Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 2 May 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near shape-up
Cite this Entry
“Shape-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shape-up. Accessed 15 May. 2024.
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