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
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 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 The driver that hit only two of eight fairways through 10 holes straightened out for the most part, too. Justin Ray, New York Times, 17 May 2025 The driver crashed their 2023 Lamborghini Huracan STO as the roadway was straightening out, the spokesperson said, and the luxury vehicle flipped. Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for straighten out

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Cite this Entry

“Straighten out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straighten%20out. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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