straighten (up or out)

Definition of straighten (up or out)next
1
as in to improve
to change one's behavior or character for the better I hope that rehab will help her straighten up for good

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straighten (up or out)
Verb
  • Sacramento improved its position in the lottery standings, gaining ground on the Nets and Indiana Pacers, who beat the Miami Heat 135-118 after losing 18 of their last 19 games.
    Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Albin is confident the offensive line will improve this season, allowing the signal callers to take command of the offense.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In 2018, seventeen-year-old landscaper Alex Childress was rushed to the hospital with third-degree burns on his face after unknowingly trimming giant hogweed.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
  • As the Labubu frenzy fades, HSBC last month trimmed its revenue growth forecast for Pop Mart this year from around 30% to under 24%, and expects a 11% to 13% cut in 2026-2027 earnings.
    Elaine Yu, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The 75th Florida Derby — a top race that has produced 26 Kentucky Derby winners — shapes up as this year’s biggest prep heading into the May 2 Run for the Roses.
    Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Murphy, a senior center fielder, is shaping up as a potential first-round pick.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • There will be five protests organized inside the perimeter of I-285 in Atlanta on Saturday.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • An agent named Gaskell — powered by OpenClaw and Anthropic’s API — emailed me Monday about a tech networking event organized by a team of seven agents, overseen by three humans.
    Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In 2009, the policy was amended to include executive positions, and in 2022, women were added to the minority candidate definition.
    Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Neitzke, who serves on the commission, noted that if noise or light pollution became an issue, the commission could revisit and amend the hours again.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • What emerged was something that behaved less like a collection of individuals and more like a fluid.
    Yook JiHun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Yet Illinois’ dominant insurer, along with many of its peers, continues to behave as though steep increases are unavoidable.
    Barbara Hoare, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The academy had been looking for a venue that offered greater control over how the show is staged, including how the audience is arranged and how the room is used for both the broadcast and the live event.
    Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Trump administration officials are working to arrange a meeting in Pakistan this weekend to discuss an off-ramp to the war in Iran, two senior administration officials told CNN.
    Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Brian wanted to better himself, not just for his own future, but for my daughter as well.
    Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Reneau was that guy too, right to Sunday when his 16 points were only bettered by Henderson’s 18.
    Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Straighten (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straighten%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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