: relating to or being music performed in an unembellished manner typical of a given idiom or performer
broadly : straightforward

Examples of straight-ahead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But that’s the one straight-ahead kind of love song to my wife on the album. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 Those beats are equally in flux, switching between straight-ahead techno and the funky but lead-footed stomp of guaracha, adding to the disorientation. Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 Like Gauff, Steffi Graf had otherworldly straight-ahead speed. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Cost-Benefit Analysis Plus More The straight-ahead approach would be to list the potential costs of adopting AI for each of these two instances. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for straight-ahead

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of straight-ahead was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Straight-ahead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straight-ahead. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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