shape-up
noun
an act or instance of shaping up.
shape-up
American
[sheyp-uhp]
/ ˈʃeɪpˌʌp /
Or
shapeup
noun
-
an act or instance of shaping up.
-
a former method of hiring longshoremen in which the applicants appeared daily at the docks and a union hiring boss chose those who would be given work.
shape up
British
verb
-
informal to proceed or develop satisfactorily
-
informal to develop a definite or proper form
noun
shape up
Idioms
-
Turn out, develop; see take shape .
-
Improve so as to meet a standard, as in The coach told the team that they'd better shape up or they'd be at the bottom of the league . This usage was first recorded in 1938.
-
shape up or ship out Behave yourself or be forced to leave, as in The new supervisor told Tom he'd have to shape up or ship out . This expression originated in the 1940s, during World War II, as a threat that if one didn't behave in an appropriate military manner one would be sent overseas to a combat zone. After the war it was transferred to other situations calling for improved performance.
Etymology
Origin of shape-up
First recorded in 1940–45; noun use of verb phrase shape up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Some people call it futuristic - but how does the home of the delayed 2020 Paralympics shape-up for disabled people?
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2021
One of the substantial victories of the 1934 Bay Area strike was the replacement of the shape-up system—the informal hustle for day labor work—with a union-operated hiring hall that worked to racially integrate the workforce.
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2019
Gonzalez explained he usually gets a haircut on Thursday or Friday and a shape-up on Monday, but he recently went a week without anything.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 27, 2018
He crusaded against the shape-up system of hiring, in which dock workers had to compete daily for jobs, often at the price of illicit payments.
From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2015
"Naw, naw, he can get one. I was just gonna get a shape-up, but I can pass."
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
"It's really, really big news. Our country has to shape up," he added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
It may also shape up as a major test as to whether rich households move away in the face of tax hikes.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026
New contractors like Anduril will make a difference, especially if Congress prods the Pentagon to shape up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
But experts say that, despite the auspicious start, it’s still too soon to say how the rest of California’s traditional rainy season will shape up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
“Of course, Henry says I need to shape up or ship out.”
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
