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
That even includes Boeing, which raised $24 billion in equity last year and has made substantial progress toward improving production of its commercial airplanes and straightening out troubled defense programs.
—
Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
When those bonds are broken, the natural curl pattern will straighten out.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2025
Stretch insisted to him, both in the office and back at home, the season would straighten out.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
City officials want the applicants to work with Orange County to straighten out and improve the road before the development moves forward.
—Tyler Williams, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten out
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Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
When those bonds are broken, the natural curl pattern will straighten out.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2025
Stretch insisted to him, both in the office and back at home, the season would straighten out.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
City officials want the applicants to work with Orange County to straighten out and improve the road before the development moves forward.
—Tyler Williams, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 July 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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