Phrase guide

shape up or ship out

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave; to either improve one's performance in an activity or else withdraw from that activity completely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: vagy megszoksz, vagy megszöksz — to either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave
  • Hungarian: megszoksz vagy megszöksz — to either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave
  • Polish: do roboty albo do widzenia — to either improve one's behavior or else be required to leave