take shape

Idioms  

1. Also, shape up. Turn out, develop, acquire a distinctive form, as in Her reelection campaign is already taking shape, two years before the election, or Can you tell us how the book is shaping up? The first term dates from the mid-1700s and the variant, originally put as shape out, from about 1600.

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Example Sentences

Somewhere in that ancient mix of species, landscapes, diets, and chance events, the path to modern humans began to take shape.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2026

As the future of quantum computing starts to take shape, there are plenty of ways to play it.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The forecast for expansion clubs Portland and Toronto won’t take shape until they finish building their rosters.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

What initially seemed unlikely is now becoming more plausible, with the risk of a stagflationary environment starting to take shape, SimCorp’s Olivier d’Assier said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

By the late afternoon the big burrow was beginning to take shape.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• brew
• come on
• dominate
• emerge
• hover
• mount
• overshadow
• portend
• soar
• stand out
• threaten