the straight and narrow
noun
informal
: the way of living that is honest and morally proper
His wife keeps him on the straight and narrow.
Examples of the straight and narrow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are a number of actions Maryland might take to keep lobbyists on the straight and narrow.
—
Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025
If the twins must walk the straight and narrow line, noting that being on their best behavior on and off the mat can only help show that the family is worthy of remaining in the States, then the line their father must toe is even thinner.
—Rob Oller, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
But the industry’s key to long-term mainstream success will be hewing to the straight and narrow.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
In one fell swoop, that verdict rejected decades of Madigan and his loyalists polishing the image of the once-mighty speaker as a politician above reproach, a statesman who never crossed the line, a lawyer with a personal code of conduct that kept him on the straight and narrow.
—Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Ricky’s poor mother has hardly slept a wink in 15 years, ever since that fateful knock at the door, and despite her stone-cold front, Joanne, an old friend of the Smiths, is actually doing her best to keep Ricky on the straight and narrow.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2025
For a real transformation, everyone’s switching to heavy weights—and building a butt
By Lauren Bans
Reflections
Peak Beak So much for the straight and narrow.
—airmail.news, 3 Jan. 2025
In order to get ahead, Smith will have to keep on the straight and narrow—which is easier said than done.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
Elwood is a product of the belief that Jim Crow demanded Black Americans, in order to survive, live life on the straight and narrow.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
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Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025
If the twins must walk the straight and narrow line, noting that being on their best behavior on and off the mat can only help show that the family is worthy of remaining in the States, then the line their father must toe is even thinner.
—Rob Oller, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
But the industry’s key to long-term mainstream success will be hewing to the straight and narrow.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
In one fell swoop, that verdict rejected decades of Madigan and his loyalists polishing the image of the once-mighty speaker as a politician above reproach, a statesman who never crossed the line, a lawyer with a personal code of conduct that kept him on the straight and narrow.
—Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Ricky’s poor mother has hardly slept a wink in 15 years, ever since that fateful knock at the door, and despite her stone-cold front, Joanne, an old friend of the Smiths, is actually doing her best to keep Ricky on the straight and narrow.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2025
For a real transformation, everyone’s switching to heavy weights—and building a butt
By Lauren Bans
Reflections
Peak Beak So much for the straight and narrow.
—airmail.news, 3 Jan. 2025
In order to get ahead, Smith will have to keep on the straight and narrow—which is easier said than done.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
Elwood is a product of the belief that Jim Crow demanded Black Americans, in order to survive, live life on the straight and narrow.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“The straight and narrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20straight%20and%20narrow. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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