shape
noun
the quality of a distinct object or body in having an external surface or outline of specific form or figure.
were shaping
-
past progressiveof shape.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
I remember clocking how the artists here weren’t just based in L.A.; they were shaping and being shaped by it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Ms. Twenge was the first to document the degree to which devices and social media were shaping the children and teens of the early-2000s into a distinct, unhappy generation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
Demand for advice was so keen that one lawyer, who declined to be identified, said his firm last month held its first client-only seminar on Russia, China and how geopolitics were shaping sanctions and compliance.
From Reuters ● Oct. 13, 2023
His circle of friends shrank, relationships fell apart and he felt constantly in the glare of the journalists who were shaping the narrative of his life.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2023
At his suggestion they both waited at the mouth of one of the larger holes to see how his companions were shaping.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
