Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.

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.

Today, elevator engineers are working to overcome numerous other obstacles as cities of the future take shape.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The field of candidates did not take shape until the week of the February filing deadline.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

At the same time, the struggle over Iran's future leadership is already beginning to take shape.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Much like the Rosetta Stone helped scientists interpret ancient hieroglyphics, V1298 Tau provides a key reference for understanding how the galaxy's most common planets take shape.

From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026

A dim background started to take shape behind him but at her next remark it faded away.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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.