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

See Examples For:

take shape

Where much democracy research documents what people say they believe, ethnography examines how and why political worldviews take shape within the full context of daily experiences, relationships, and social environments.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

It was really starting to take shape in his brain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

"On Friday, a gradual drop in temperatures along the Atlantic coast is beginning to take shape following Thursday evening's stormy conditions," the agency added.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

This is the one you hear the most about, and changes are starting to take shape.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

In the meantime, in the afternoons and on weekends, the Egypt Game was really beginning to take shape.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Related Words

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