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.
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
As officials in Humphreys County spurned the federal government’s offer of flood insurance, they were shaping the future of the county in another way: by declining to adopt residential building codes.
From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2021
Venus was pleased at the way matters were shaping.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
