straighten (up or out)

verb

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
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)
  1. improve
  2. trim
  3. shape up
  4. organize
  5. amend
  6. arrange
  7. behave
  8. better
Verb
  • The company is reviewing costs, operations, and portfolio of brands to improve performance.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But Hall and Woodford, in separate contributions, set about improving the Keynesian model to take into account how consumers and businesses actually make decisions about whether to invest and spend.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of improve
Verb
  • San Diego won 4-3 on Tuesday night to avoid elimination and trim Milwaukee’s lead in the best-of-five series to 2-1.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than trimming that weight, Fukushima's lab asked whether anything needed to be worn at all.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of trim
Verb
  • Saturday is shaping up to be an especially pleasant day for outdoor activities.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There are five riding modes, shaping up as three preset modes and two that can be customized to your preferences.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of shape up
Verb
  • Nova Mohiuddin, 23, and an organizing member of the UIC student chapter of Chicago Socialist Alternative, was the first to take the mic.
    — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The events, organized by Michigan Jews for Democracy, represent the latest attempt to ease voter concerns over el Sayed, whose views on Israel and association with pro-Palestinian commentator Hasan Piker have drawn intense scrutiny.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of organize
Verb
  • Going forward, the audit asks the Legislature to amend state law to provide clear instruction that prohibits state workers from regularly teleworking outside of California.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But the city’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday amended the map to remove portions of the 3rd District — which is the district the Chiefs and Royals are leaving for their new stadiums.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of amend
Verb
  • The hotel can arrange special things like a in-room Peloton bike or facilitate extra amenities to host a meeting in your suite.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Annals are historical records arranged by year; the clue leverages the entry’s singular form to misdirect us.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Their primary role has been to assess AI model capabilities and risks and to flag instances where the technology behaves badly.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The snow pile in the parking lot Heat can behave in surprising ways.
    — Moones Alamooti, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of behave
Verb
  • Thompson continued to make his case that years in Congress give him the experience and influence needed to better the district.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • His hopes for The Situation is to better the experience of other disadvantaged creatives climbing the ranks today.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of better
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.

Browse Nearby Words

straighten (up)
straighten (up or out)
straight-faced
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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 14 Oct. 2026.

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