straighten out
verb
straightened out; straightening out; straightens out
1
: to make (something) straight or to become straight
You need to straighten out your legs for this stretch.
The river curves and then straightens out again.
2
: to make (something) organized or tidy : to put (something) in order
He took time to straighten out the papers on his desk.
3
: to deal with (something) successfully
I need more time to straighten out my problems.
4
: to improve in behavior or condition or to cause (someone or something) to improve in behavior or condition
He straightened out after joining the army.
The problem will not straighten out on its own.
You need to straighten your life out.
Her parents sent her to boarding school to straighten her out.
Examples of straighten out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My mom’s eyebrows arch like crawling caterpillars and then straighten out.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
As the temperature drops, the cold causes the protein to shift into a more stable state in which one of its key structural pillars bends sharply, breaks away from its neighbor and straightens out.
—Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2026
But retiring head coach Bob Banning straightened out Silver Creek, which won 13 of its last 14 games, including upsets over Eagle Valley in the Sweet 16 and Mesa Ridge in the Great 8.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Cavanagh, who became co-CEO alongside Brian Roberts last month, has taken the lead on straightening out the cable and internet giant’s entertainment portfolio.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for straighten out
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Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
As the temperature drops, the cold causes the protein to shift into a more stable state in which one of its key structural pillars bends sharply, breaks away from its neighbor and straightens out.
—Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2026
But retiring head coach Bob Banning straightened out Silver Creek, which won 13 of its last 14 games, including upsets over Eagle Valley in the Sweet 16 and Mesa Ridge in the Great 8.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Cavanagh, who became co-CEO alongside Brian Roberts last month, has taken the lead on straightening out the cable and internet giant’s entertainment portfolio.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for straighten out
Cite this Entry
“Straighten out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straighten%20out. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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