straight and narrow

Definition 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 Hunt had veered slightly off course, and a stop for speeding in January in Rocky River got him back on the straight and narrow. — Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, "Browns’ Kareem Hunt: ‘I’m a man on a mission; I’m ready for the journey' as he takes over until Nick Chubb returns," 7 Oct. 2020 The 23-year-old Californian took the straight and narrow. — Doug Ferguson, Star Tribune, "Column: Morikawa part of generation that is ready to win big," 11 Aug. 2020 Compared to some of her compatriots, Jasmine White-Killins – one of the original cast – took the straight and narrow path, majoring in dance at Southern Methodist University, then going on to become a member of Dallas Black Dance Theatre. — David Lyman, Cincinnati.com, "10 years since MTV's 'Taking the Stage': Where are the stars now?," 16 Apr. 2020 Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard among them—in a van, spurning the straight and narrow for an epic surf/ski/climb road trip clear to Argentina. — Daniel Duane, Outside Online, "Why Surfers and Climbers Break Social Distancing Rules," 12 Apr. 2020 Will Malik stay on the straight and narrow or get mixed up with the criminal elements around him? — Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, "‘This Is Us’ returns, and we have a bunch of new characters to worry about," 24 Sep. 2019 And eventually, Frank will meet Hoffa (Pacino), by turns garrulous and inscrutable, a leader of men who doesn’t always walk the straight and narrow. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "Martin Scorsese’s Masterful The Irishman Is a Moving Portrait of Betrayal and Regret," 28 Sep. 2019 And now the Patriots really don’t need to worry about Gordon staying on the straight and narrow this year, or Demaryius Thomas coming back from a torn Achilles’ and rounding into his old form. — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, "Breaking down the Patriots’ signing of Antonio Brown," 7 Sep. 2019 The pathway to art is rarely a straight and narrow one. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "X-Ray Scans Uncover da Vinci's Hidden Painting in All Its Glory," 16 Aug. 2019

These 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.

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Last Updated

16 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Straight and narrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straight%20and%20narrow. Accessed 28 Oct. 2020.

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