- Turn out or develop. 2. Improve so as to meet a required standard. 3. Shape up or ship out: behave or be forced to leave.
Examples:
- The coach told the team that they'd better shape up or they'd be at the bottom of the league.
Origin: First recorded 1938 (sense 2); 1940s (sense 3)
Synonyms: straighten up, pull oneself together, improve