STRAIGHTEN UP OR OUT Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

straighten (up or out)

verb

Definition of straighten (up or out)

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

This year’s Democrats are making hard plays for northeast Ohio, at least to trim the GOP margins.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Amid the ongoing labor negotiations in baseball, which is widely expected to result in a work stoppage this winter, MLB agreed to trim the requirement to five years for players over 30 years old.

— Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of trim

Verb

The team’s last-second win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was organized and operated by the NFL, part of the league’s more standard rotation of all teams playing overseas.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Workers are organizing at manufacturing plants, in newsrooms, in technology, in hospitals, on college campuses, and construction sites.

— Liz Shuler, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of organize

Verb

State law allows cities of Roseville’s size to establish council salaries of $2,550 per month, although the city’s charter must be amended by voters before the new compensation rules can take effect.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Vaccaro filed for divorce in April last year and amended her divorce petition to include the domestic violence allegations.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of amend

Verb

For a bit of an over-the-top perk, the concierge is able to arrange helicopter services to NASA through its rooftop helipad, as well as myriad other special excursions.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
While Sabrina’s identical twin sister, Virginia, was arranged to marry a Chinese American man in the States who spoke no Cantonese, Sabrina wouldn’t let her parents stop their love— or stop her from getting pregnant.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrange

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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Straighten (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straighten%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of straighten (up or out)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

syncretic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes