as in to unbend
to cause to follow a line that is without bends or curls
straighten that extension cord—it should be just long enough to reach the wall outlet
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of straighten
Corry said, demonstrating the command of her muscles by flexing and straightening her knees in a quick dip.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Fine, thin, loose waves that can be easily straightened or curled.
—Maggie Donahue, Health, 27 Sep. 2025
Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2025
The runway star’s sleek black hair was straightened and pushed behind her shoulders, revealing the dainty straps of her dress.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Fine, thin, loose waves that can be easily straightened or curled.
—Maggie Donahue, Health, 27 Sep. 2025
Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2025
The runway star’s sleek black hair was straightened and pushed behind her shoulders, revealing the dainty straps of her dress.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straighten
Verb
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After An Enemy of the People, Ibsen got fed up with a public that essentially equated him with that play’s hero, Dr. Stockmann, the unbending idealist who calls out community corruption and has his life torn apart for it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The social hierarchy is unbending, but Flora knows she is destined for something greater, even though this puts her at odds with her superiors.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
One fall day in 1856, a family of Eastern gray squirrels in rural New York uncurled from a cozy nest in a chestnut tree, looked around, and joined half a billion other squirrels on a multi-state walkabout.—
Christine Peterson,
Vox,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Exhale, lower the bridge down, then uncurl the trunk to bring the right hip and shoulder back to the ground.—
Jen Murphy,
WSJ,
16 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Straighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straighten. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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