# shape up or ship out

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/shape-up-or-ship-out
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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.

## Examples

- You must shape up or ship out if you want to keep this job.
- The coach told the lazy players that they needed to shape up or ship out before the next big game.
- Faced with declining productivity and repeated warnings, the manager informed the team that it was time to either shape up or ship out.

## Origin

WWII American military slang: perform properly or be shipped out to a combat posting or discharged. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.