shape 1 of 2

noun

Definition of shapenext
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
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

shape

2 of 2

verb

ˈshāp How to pronounce shape (audio)
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
  • At this point in the WSL’s existence, eight years since becoming a fully professional league, players now ageing out at the title contenders do so with all the advantages — finances, facilities, health — of only knowing full-time football.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Zambia is particularly sensitive amid tensions over US health assistance and mining, while Kenya is pursuing deeper US trade and investment.
    — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of health
Noun
  • Finally, the market is watching SK Hynix, which will begin trading on Nasdaq on Friday local time in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs).
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Changes include language that says a patron must request a meeting with the branch manager before submitting the reconsideration form, per the law.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of form
Noun
  • What does fitness and physique mean to you in your work and in your everyday life?
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Sarah Connor has reshaped her entire persona (not just her physique) in the wake of what happened to her in the first film.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of physique
Verb
  • Critics also questioned whether UCLA’s athletic department had adapted quickly enough to the NIL era.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Over the years, Marco Polo has adapted to the neighborhood’s changing demographics by downplaying its old-world Italian extravagance.
    — Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of adapt
Verb
  • European governments have planned to expand sanctions to further squeeze Moscow's economy and finances.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Therefore, Entergy plans to purchase additional electricity from the market to serve the data center until more generation is available.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of plan
Noun
  • The comments were laid out in a two-page letter published via Telegram, as the country set its conditions for reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and touted the prospect of a return to diplomatic negotiations.
    — Sam Meredith,Lim Hui Jie,Mike Sheen, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than just a reproductive issue, endometriosis is a whole-body condition, affecting everything from emotional regulation to hormone production and gut health.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • Such components can benefit from additive manufacturing because the technology lets engineers create geometries that would be difficult or impossible to produce with traditional manufacturing methods.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • His research focus is the geometry of the early universe, the physics of fine-tuning and quantum gravity.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 28 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

Browse Nearby Words

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 1 Sep. 2026.

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