Meaning & use
mold into shape
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Meanings
phrasetransitive
To train or improve someone or something until they reach a good standard.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'mold someone into shape'. The object usually comes after 'mold' and before 'into shape'.
Patterns
- mold someone into shape
- mold something into shape
The new coach quickly molded the team into shape.
It took months to mold the old house into shape.
She molded the young recruits into shape with strict training.
phrasetransitive
To give something a particular physical form by pressing or shaping it.
Grammar: Used literally with materials like clay or dough: 'mold the clay into shape'.
Patterns
- mold something into shape
He molded the clay into shape with his hands.
The potter molded the wet earth into shape.
Common combinations
- mold something into shape
- The coach molded the players into shape before the season.
- get something into shape
- I need to get my finances into shape.
- whip something into shape
- She whipped the department into shape in just two months.
Synonyms and how they differ
- train
- More general; 'train' focuses on teaching skills, while 'mold into shape' emphasizes improving overall condition or performance.
- shape up
- This is intransitive and means to improve oneself, whereas 'mold into shape' is transitive and means improving someone or something else.
Opposites
Commonly confused: mold into shape or mold to shape?
mold into shape vs mold to shape
This is less common and often means fitting something to a particular shape, while 'mold into shape' means improving or forming something.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'mold into shape' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 follows the usual pattern 'mold someone into shape'. Option 1 has the object in the wrong place, option 2 uses 'to shape' instead of 'into shape', and option 3 is missing the object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mold into shape”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.