straighten

verb

straight·​en ˈstrā-tᵊn How to pronounce straighten (audio)
straightened; straightening ˈstrāt-niŋ How to pronounce straighten (audio)
ˈstrā-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: to make straight
usually used with up or out

intransitive verb

: to become straight
usually used with up or out
straightener
ˈstrāt-nər How to pronounce straighten (audio)
ˈstrā-tᵊn-ər
noun

Examples of straighten in a Sentence

He straightened the bent antenna. The drooping flowers straightened in the rain.
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.
Assuming the squatters had left, the homeowner called the cleaning crew to straighten things up so that the appraiser could do their job. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2024 From TikTok to Instagram, this straightening brush gives serious results that have more body than a flat iron. Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024 Keeping your toes flexed (toes pointed toward the ceiling), straighten your knee fully. Aubrey Bailey, Pt, Dpt, Cht, Verywell Health, 20 Nov. 2024 Instead of putting a wig on LaBelle, Thompson instead had her key hairstylist straighten his hair each morning because LaBelle wasn’t accustomed to wearing wigs. Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for straighten 

Word History

First Known Use

1525, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of straighten was in 1525

Dictionary Entries Near straighten

Cite this Entry

“Straighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straighten. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

straighten

verb
straight·​en ˈstrāt-ᵊn How to pronounce straighten (audio)
straightened; straightening ˈstrāt-niŋ How to pronounce straighten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become straight
usually used with up or out
straighten up a room
straightened out the problem
straightener
ˈstrāt-nər How to pronounce straighten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on straighten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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