straightened (up or out)

verb

past tense of straighten (up or out)
1
as in shaped up
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 trimmed
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 straightened (up or out)
  1. shaped up
  2. trimmed
  3. improved
  4. organized
  5. amended
  6. arranged
  7. behaved
Verb
  • Frost, who led Nebraska to two national titles as a quarterback, likes the way his quarterback room has shaped up over the past eight months.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Stacey Barchenger Warren Petersen and Rodney Glassman crisscrossed the state for more than a year courting Republican voters in what shaped up to be a bruising primary election race.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of shaped up
Verb
  • Moisés Ballesteros singled and Christian Moore sliced a two-run triple to right field that eluded a diving Jones and trimmed the deficit to 4-3.
    — Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The gown also featured a lustrous design of curvaceous floral-like overlays trimmed with gold eyelets.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • Beijing’s endorsement of DeepSeek and Liang has also helped open doors and improved their access to marquee listings.
    — Anniek Bao,Elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Robinson’s ability to set the edge in the run game seems much improved.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • Other speakers at the event Monday, which was organized by community groups seeking to reopen the hospital, emphasized the need for care to be restored.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Pairing rolled clothing with compression packing cubes, like this Bagail six-piece set with mesh panels to easily see what’s inside, can help keep outfits organized while creating extra room for souvenirs on the way home.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • Subsequent constitutional changes in 1990 amended the accession rules to allow for the eldest child, regardless of gender, to accede to the throne.
    — James Frater, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The case against the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was amended Thursday to add citations for possessing open intoxicants in a motor vehicle, unsafe passing on the right and first-offense operating while intoxicated.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • Gayle Conran Each of the ryokans served set meals, kaiseki-style, elaborately arranged, with an array of 12 or more small lacquer and porcelain dishes.
    — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The printing process can also control how different materials are arranged, allowing different sections of an object to respond differently.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • That is a deliberate correction to how the category has behaved.
    — Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The signal in that is post-Covid travel has behaved like a secular growth story, not a cyclical one.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of behaved
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

straightened (up)
straightened (up or out)
straightening
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Cite this Entry

“Straightened (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightened%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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