straighten out
phrasal 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
This can straighten out any bent corners of the hardware.
—
Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025
The 31-year-old was pregnant with her tenth child and wanted to straighten out her life.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
But just as Sly started to straighten out, his old reputation began to catch up with him.
—Timothy Crouse, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025
The plane starts banking and straightening out for final approach into Stockton airport before descending toward the runway.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten out
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Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025
The 31-year-old was pregnant with her tenth child and wanted to straighten out her life.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
But just as Sly started to straighten out, his old reputation began to catch up with him.
—Timothy Crouse, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025
The plane starts banking and straightening out for final approach into Stockton airport before descending toward the runway.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 13 May 2025
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 15 Jul. 2025.
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