1
as in health
a state of being or fitness
she was in good shape after having worked outdoors all summer long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shape
ABC News, 13 May 2026
Or is the shape and the movement of the print too busy for you personally?
—Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2026
Kayla Rivera, AJC.com, 19 May 2026
Bat’s ability to actively manipulate and shape its signal environment can be mimicked to develop smarter sensing systems capable of extracting critical information from incredibly noisy and complex conditions.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape
Noun
Despite the positive spin the executives tried to put on their revival plan, the automaker’s financials are in their worst shape in years.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
Or is the shape and the movement of the print too busy for you personally?
—Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2026
Verb
Discover the full show and witness fashion’s next wave of talent shaping the industry today.
—Kayla Rivera, AJC.com, 19 May 2026
Bat’s ability to actively manipulate and shape its signal environment can be mimicked to develop smarter sensing systems capable of extracting critical information from incredibly noisy and complex conditions.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shape
Noun
-
Nearly all of the surviving health-care facilities in the northernmost area fell on the wrong side of the partition.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
But state lawmakers can finally pass this legislation, and start saving families tax dollars while protecting our health and our environment.—
Justin Sanchez,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Stories are filled with this literal kind of ephemera in the form of what the characters wear, carry, purchase, pocket.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
That proof usually comes in the form of SOC 2, a third-party audit that verifies if a company’s systems and data controls are actually doing what the company claims.—
Ellen Sheng,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
For one, there's his unique physique, more befitting a runner of longer distances.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
-
Talent is not, in my mind, something that God gave you, your physique or athletic abilities.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Just as diurnal ants follow the relatively steady movement of the sun, the bull ant species has adapted to the orbiting moon’s constant changes, according to research published in .—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
17 May 2026
-
This approach preserves the visual identity of the original compact robot while adapting it to a far more demanding mechanical scale.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The summer concert season will soon be here in full force, and many musical groups have outdoor performances planned.—
Maggie Penman,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
-
Many four-year colleges have been planning for such a transition for years.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The order stranded them indefinitely, sometimes in life-threatening conditions.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
There are women who cannot carry pregnancies for a variety of reasons — genetic conditions, cancer and loss of uterus, for example.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
These experiments successfully duplicated the same geometry and abrasion observed in the ancient tooth, bolstering the researchers' conclusions.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
13 May 2026
-
Saranrom Thai is as pinched as a back alley, a simple geometry of concrete, wood and brick, and balances frank heat and funk with cooling freshness.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
These 100-percent linen pants have practical front panel pockets for holding small essentials, and shoppers praised the tapered design and ankle-length cut that work well on petite frames.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2026
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There aren’t many options for the Pistons to upgrade from someone his age, with his talent and frame.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shape. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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