shape-up
noun
an act or instance of shaping up.
shape-up
American
[sheyp-uhp]
/ ˈʃeɪpˌʌp /
Or
shapeup
noun
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an act or instance of shaping up.
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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
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informal to proceed or develop satisfactorily
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informal to develop a definite or proper form
noun
shape up
Idioms
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Turn out, develop; see take shape .
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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.
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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.
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
The Ackman twin IPOs shape up as a key test of whether the bonus shares for the closed-end fund will be enough to incent buyers to what has been a moribund closed-end fund market.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 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
“Don’t she have a different shape up above?” he wondered, and she seemed to.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
