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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 says this could improve system visibility while reducing downtime, warranty exposure, and costs associated with maintenance and battery augmentation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
  • State agencies want to improve access to early childhood settings for children with disabilities and developmental delays.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of improve
Verb
  • Milwaukee trimmed its magic number to claim the division to one.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The team captain missed the season opener after a meniscus trim on his right knee, but returned early to anchor the line in Mizzou’s win over Kansas.
    — PJ Green September 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of trim
Verb
  • Cooler, clearer weather across Maryland Monday and Tuesday are shaping up to be be the nicest days of the workweek.
    — Cutter Martin, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2026
  • The rich, delicious-looking hue is making its way onto flats, which are quickly shaping up to be one of fall 2026’s biggest shoe trends—and Julia Roberts, Kate Middleton, and Katie Holmes seem to agree.
    — Grace Scollo, InStyle, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of shape up
Verb
  • Dostoyevsky’s sniveling devil comes closest to portraying the man chiefly responsible for organizing the Final Solution.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Discover a few of our favorites from the sale, organized by category—skincare, hair, tools, makeup, fragrance, and body.
    — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of organize
Verb
  • The order was later amended to demand that two dozen videos believed to have been posted by Bourne be removed from several platforms, the Davis newspaper reported.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike all of these, but very much like the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, which has been amended more than a hundred times, it was meant to be revised, updated, and improved.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of amend
Verb
  • AmaWaterways arranges pre- and post-cruise stays of several nights in both cities with luxury accommodations, cultural exploration led by local experts, and transfers between hotel and ship.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • For this development, the team worked with two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, arranging alternating organic and inorganic layers into precise crystalline structures.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Under the right circumstances, a star – or even a planet – can behave like a natural magnifying glass.
    — Thomas Fauchez, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The market already punishes models that behave in unpredictable or unauthorized ways.
    — Kevin Breuninger,CJ Haddad, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of behave
Verb
  • Yet again, nobody on the field bettered the Bosnian’s 13 defensive contributions, the majority of which came down to his nine clearances.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Parton dedicated her life and career to bettering the world in so many ways, from her Dollywood theme park to her Imagination Library, which has promoted childhood literacy through delivering millions of books to children.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 25 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

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 19 Sep. 2026.

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