straight and narrow
nounDefinition of straight and narrow
: the way of propriety and rectitude —used with the
Examples of straight and narrow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Also, having a relationship with God is going to keep you straight and narrow [during those hard] times. — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, "Pusha T, Ella Mai, Jussie Smollett & More Give Aspiring Artists Advice on How to Maintain Their Mental Health," 20 June 2018 Who wants to live vicariously through a former addict's daily effort to stay on the straight and narrow? — Hank Stuever, chicagotribune.com, "'Patrick Melrose' is the Cumberbatch-iest show ever made - and that's a good thing," 10 May 2018 Can fourth-round pick Antonio Callaway stay on the straight and narrow? — cleveland.com, "When will Baker Mayfield win the Browns' starting job? Hey, Mary Kay!," 8 May 2018 His father, Dennis, was a respected UConn gridiron legend who kept sons Aaron and D.J. on the straight and narrow. — Don Oldenburg, USA TODAY, "James Patterson brings thriller approach to 'All-American' killer Aaron Hernandez's story," 22 Jan. 2018 Aaron's parents, Dennis and Teri, were determined to keep the boys on the straight and narrow. — CBS News, "All-American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez," 20 Jan. 2018 The superpowers’ balancing of laissez-faire and a tight fist was usually enough to keep major clients such as Turkey and Iran, and even Arab-nationalist dictators, on the straight and narrow path of cooperation with them. — David Pryce-jones, National Review, "Is Arab Democracy Possible?," 16 Jan. 2018 Here are some highlights to keep you on the straight and narrow. — Chris Haghirian, kansascity, "New year, new shows: Krizz Kaliko, Claire Adams, Use Your Atlas," 9 Jan. 2018 But the goal of the festive visit isn't just to reward the parents - it's also intended to strengthen family bonds that could reduce recidivism and help keep kids on the straight and narrow. — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Santa Claus pays belated visit to Harris County jail," 28 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'straight and narrow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about straight and narrow
Dictionary Entries near straight and narrow
Statistics for straight and narrow
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for straight and narrow
The first known use of straight and narrow was in 1930
Comments on straight and narrow
What made you want to look up straight and narrow? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
-
- Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share straight and narrow
Resources for straight and narrow