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shape up
informal — phrasal verb with shape /ʃeɪp/ verb [T]Definition
› [usually continuous] to develop: How are your plans shaping up? Things seem to be shaping up nicely. Colin is shaping up quite well in his new job.Making progress and advancingBecoming better › to improve your behaviour or performance: I've been told that if I don't shape up, I'll lose my job.Becoming betterMaking things betterMaking progress and advancing
(Definition of shape up from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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You are looking at an entry to do with Making progress and advancing, but you might be interested in these topics from the Doing and achieving topic area:
- Abstaining and refraining
- Acting and acts
- Avoiding action
- Becoming better
- Cancelling and interrupting
- Competing and contending (non-sporting)
- Coping and not coping
- Delaying and wasting time
- Describing the leading position
- Efficient and effective
- Expressions telling people to hurry up
- Failing and doing badly
- Failures
- Getting involved for one's own benefit or against others' will
- Hesitating
- Higher and lower points of achievement
- Hurrying and doing things quickly
- Making things better
- Performing a function
- Potential
- Reacting and responding
- Repeating an action
- Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling
- Success and achievements
- Successful (things or people)
- Surpassing in quality or number
- Taking part and getting involved
- Trying and making an effort
- Unsuccessful (people and things)
- Waiting
- Ways of achieving things
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SMART Thesaurus: Making progress and advancing
Synonyms and related words:
- a step forward idiom
- advance verb (MOVE FORWARD)
- advancement noun
- ahead adverb (IN FRONT)
- be cooking idiom
- betterment noun
- carry verb (DEVELOP)
- go great guns idiom
- graduate verb (PROGRESS)
- grow into sb/sth phrasal verb
- grow out of sth phrasal verb (IDEA)
- grow verb (INCREASE)
- have come a long way idiom
- mature verb (DEVELOP MENTALLY)
- rebuild verb
- regenerate verb (GROW)
- ripen verb
- rise noun (MOVEMENT UP)
- simmer verb
- spread your wings idiom
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
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