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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Recent Examples of straighten
The Food and Drug Administration was expected to decide in April 2024 whether to ban formaldehyde in hair straightening products, but that decision continues to be delayed.
—
Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 17 May 2025
And unlike public boards, there is hardly a shareholder vote to straighten things out.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
She’s also known for keeping her brothers Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 7 in line during official events — whispering reminders, straightening postures and nudging them at the right moments.
—Monique Jessen, People.com, 8 May 2025
So with all this uncertainty, readers have the opportunity to reflect on what went wrong in 2024-25 and how the Bruins can straighten things out.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten
Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 17 May 2025
And unlike public boards, there is hardly a shareholder vote to straighten things out.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
She’s also known for keeping her brothers Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 7 in line during official events — whispering reminders, straightening postures and nudging them at the right moments.
—Monique Jessen, People.com, 8 May 2025
So with all this uncertainty, readers have the opportunity to reflect on what went wrong in 2024-25 and how the Bruins can straighten things out.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straighten
Verb
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The paper watch sensors survived preliminary stress testing that involved bending and unbending for 300 cycles.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Jan. 2017
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Ceaseless in his service, unbending in his dignity, and revered for his commitment to our common humanity.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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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
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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 29 May. 2025.
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