shape 1 of 2

noun

Definition of shape
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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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in physique
the type of body that a person has some specialty clothing stores sell clothing that suits people that have a particular shape

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shape

2 of 2

verb

ˈshāp 
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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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

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
Noun
Lee said her ultimate vision is to use BodyCodes to filter search results for the user, so she will only be served jeans from brands that fit her distinct shape. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026 Most manufacturers’ lineups use a mix of either carbon fiber and aluminum because those two materials can be made into the exact same shape, simplifying manufacturing. — ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
That philosophy is at the core of her communications firm, Stride, and shapes her work with every client. — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Trish Reilly, President’s Award A lifelong love of cooking and a deep familiarity with the motion picture industry have shaped Trish Reilly’s career as a food stylist. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shape
  1. health
  2. form
  3. physique
  4. adapt
  5. plan
  6. condition
  7. geometry
  8. frame
Noun
  • Most of the gains occurred during the initial stages of the health emergency when student loan payments were paused.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Thomas Babor, a professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine who studies alcohol addiction, told Time that lighter, more health-conscious drinkers appear to be the ones scaling back.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of health
Noun
  • This form of high blood pressure is one of several hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • OneWeave suspends thousands of yarns around a central core and weaves them into seamless forms, combining fabric formation with portions of garment assembly.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of form
Noun
  • Feelings for the character, who dressed like a luchador and stretched the limits of superherodom’s already outrageous spectrum of physiques, ranged from curiosity to open and outright disdain.
    — Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • As my physique changed, so did my relationship with getting dressed.
    — Lindy Segal, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of physique
Verb
  • For instance, organizations routinely apply these tools to localize regional marketing campaigns, update compliance documentation and adapt customer service knowledge bases, to name a few.
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • During the day, the menu reclaims fry bread, a dish with a knotty history among Indigenous groups, as they were forced to adapt to US government rations when forcibly displaced from their homes.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of adapt
Verb
  • The city plans to pursue additional grants and use property tax dollars for the construction itself.
    — Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The prosecution argues Clancy planned the murders and has suggested that her suicide attempt was not serious.
    — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of plan
Noun
  • His brother had been born with a congenital condition and did not have a left hand.
    — Allie Torgan, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Advocates for Baltimore's homeless community are calling on Maryland's General Assembly to investigate living conditions at several hotels the city purchased and turned into shelters.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • The process can produce lightweight parts with complex geometries that conventional manufacturing methods may struggle to achieve.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Taken together, these inputs—real geometry, real traffic, and each vehicle’s live GPS position—constitute what network researchers call a digital twin of the urban environment.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of geometry
Noun
  • Audiences embraced the films for their creeping realism and slow-building scares, which transformed ordinary bedrooms, hallways and home security cameras into places where something terrifying might be lurking just outside the frame.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • After Blake’s original frame home burned around 1860, his son Robert built the current stone residence.
    — Joe Marusak August 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of frame

Phrases Containing shape

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shapable
shape
shaped
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Cite this Entry

“Shape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shape. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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