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as in to trim
to make neat
a directive for everyone to straighten up their cubicle in preparation for a visit from some corporate VIPs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straighten (up or out)
Verb
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As Gabriel improves and the rapport builds, Bond could turn into a fantasy WR4 given his ability.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025 -
Now is the time to improve your home’s ability to withstand hurricanes.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, costume designer Colleen Atwood trimmed the look into shorts to echo the iconic ensemble Garland sports in one of her most famous numbers.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Oct. 2025
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Gray showed us how to trim the seaweed with scissors and harvest only a third, so the plant can regrow.—
Heather Richardson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This season of The Golden Bachelor is shaping up to be the most anodyne viewing of the fall.—
Ali Barthwell,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
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The team has Sean Murphy under club control for four more years and Drake Baldwin is shaping up to be a star.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2024, his mother, Idit Ohel, organized a concert for him on the Gaza border.—
Itay Stern,
NPR,
13 Oct. 2025
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The protests are organized by progressive organization Indivisible, with cities having their own branch.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the past two decades, nearly two dozen mostly red states have amended their safe-haven laws, which allow people to anonymously give up their infants for adoption through face-to-face surrenders at hospitals and fire stations, to also permit people to surrender babies in these boxes.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
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In addition, information related to wait times in September has been amended to clarify its weight as a data point.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the department is not behaving like an agency that is simply winding down.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
8 Oct. 2025
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Pat said that the bird had only ever behaved that way with her late husband, who had died eight years earlier.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Get our best clever painting hacks to extend the height of a room, space-saving storage ideas, and tips for arranging bedroom furniture.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
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In other words, this year, the Eagles’ opponents are more often presenting four deep defenders against their three wide receiver sets instead of deploying a single-high safety and arranging the remaining defenders to play closer to the line of scrimmage.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, from the back end of the secondary, Byard, the 10th-year safety and team captain, appreciated a player investing daily to better himself.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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But throughout each phase of photography, Petsch imposed her will in order to better the product on the screen.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Sep. 2025
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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 13 Oct. 2025.
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