take shape

idiomatic phrase

: to assume a definite or distinctive form : to develop and become apparent or established
The plan is finally taking shape.
Edison's tireless work habits took shape during his childhood …Paul Gray
The proto-planetary fragments crashed together, coalesced by gravity, and crashed again into other fragments, until they gradually took shape as the planets we know today.M. Mitchell Waldrop
… the first half of the century, before the modern medical system took shape.Geoffrey Cowley

Examples of take shape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So if Americans continue to spend at a healthy pace, there is likely no recession taking shape. Bryan Mena, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025 While efforts took a backseat during the pandemic, Lake County’s program began to take shape in 2022 and 2023 before finally launching in August of 2024. Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025 The world's largest telescope continues to take shape on the Cerro Armazones mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert. Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 19 Feb. 2025 Allgaier has been with JR Motorsports since 2016, about a decade after the race team in its full form took shape. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take shape

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of take shape was in 1560

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take shape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20shape. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!