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.
From there, molds are made in-house, and castings take shape using traditional methods. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 2 July 2025 That message is especially relevant in higher education today, where the use of AI is accelerating, but the structures to support it are still taking shape. Bruce Dahlgren, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 The Lagoon nebula provides scientists with a great place to study the earliest stages of star formation — how giant clouds collapse, how star clusters take shape, and how newborn stars start to reshape their environment. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 1 July 2025 Talks over the years for a new school began to take shape in 2019. Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 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

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Cite this Entry

“Take shape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20shape. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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