straightaway 1 of 2

adjective

ˈstrāt-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce straightaway (audio)
Definition of straightawaynext
1
as in immediate
done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time her first novel was a straightaway success

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in linear
free from irregularities or digressions in course the doomed ship was headed on a straightaway course in the path of the iceberg

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straightaway

2 of 2

adverb

ˌstrāt-ə-ˈwā How to pronounce straightaway (audio)
as in immediately
without delay he got to the hospital, and straightaway he was admitted and given intravenous fluids

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of straightaway
Adjective
Roman Martin answered Johnson with a deep shot to straightaway center field, tying the score at 1-1. — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 29 May 2026 And later, Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages hit a solo blast to straightaway center. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2026
Adverb
On a separate note, art, fertility and hobbies will bring you so much joy — so focus on these areas rather than just diving straightaway into work. — Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026 Money was tight and, in order to bank it straightaway, Jane Austen had no option but to discount it at a loss, as details on the back show. — Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for straightaway
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightaway
  1. immediate
  2. linear
  3. immediately
  4. instantaneous
  5. direct
  6. promptly
  7. instant
  8. straight
Adjective
  • All game long Wednesday, the Washington Mystics were trying to claw back against the Atlanta Dream after falling into an immediate hole.
    — Jake Kauderer, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The immediate test is converting orders into shipments, revenue, and cash flow.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of immediate
Adjective
  • That’s one romantic notion of many in a free-floating relationship drama, which employs an intuitively non-linear structure to enliven what is otherwise a fairly conventional, ordinary love story between two attractive but imperfect people.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The northern bypass channel will be 3,900 linear feet long and 300 feet wide at the bottom, according to the Army Corps.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of linear
Adverb
  • The league immediately decided Juszczyk was imitating drinking beer.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Abbott, who begins work immediately, joins the museum as its sixth director since 2008.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of immediately
Adjective
  • And in the interior of a cell, decoherence should be basically instantaneous — quantumness shouldn’t survive long enough in such an environment to have any bearing on biology.
    — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The standard 80% of financial advice—such as whether to invest or pay off debt, how much money to set aside for emergencies or if a purchase will interfere with a savings goal—becomes instantaneous, free and accessible to anybody with a smartphone.
    — Antoine Sallis, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of instantaneous
Adjective
  • Each bungalow has a deck—most with direct beach access—as well as its own golf cart and bikes for exploring the 96-acre island.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The 16 songs are prime riot-grrrl rock — raw, direct and impassioned.
    — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of direct
Adverb
  • This starts with every company that is training and deploying frontier models having robust internal processes and controls to ensure that their technology behaves as intended and that any issues are promptly identified and resolved.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Experts recommend seeing a doctor promptly for any lump, swelling, pain or change in a testicle.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of promptly
Adjective
  • Most were instant communities, born of the same monomania for property sales as the grid.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • When Jane Fonda hit the Oscars stage with a silver pixie cut in 2020, jaws dropped, heads turned and every woman painfully growing out their grays had instant hair envy.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of instant
Adjective
  • According to Media Partners Asia, Vidio has been Indonesia’s top streaming platform for four straight years.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Hoosiers got challenged at home by Northwestern and dropped a spot in the poll for a second straight week.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of straight

Browse Nearby Words

straight arrows
straightaway
straightbred
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Cite this Entry

“Straightaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightaway. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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