SHAPE UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does shape up mean? 

• SHAPE UP (verb)
  The verb SHAPE UP has 1 sense:

1. develop in a positive way

  Familiarity information: SHAPE UP used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHAPE UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Develop in a positive way

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

advance; come along; come on; get along; get on; progress; shape up

Context example:

Plans are shaping up

Hypernyms (to "shape up" is one way to...):

develop (grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shape up"):

climb (improve one's social status)

leapfrog (progress by large jumps instead of small increments)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

He often read or re-read a chapter at a time, during such pauses; and he consoled himself that while he was not writing the great things he felt to be in him, he was learning composition, at any rate, and training himself to shape up and express his thoughts.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)