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
  • 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
  • In Texas, a heated and expensive race has shaped up between Democrat James Talarico, a state representative who is facing Republican Ken Paxton, the state attorney general.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of shaped up
Verb
  • The Tempo trimmed the deficit to four points in the final minute, but Bueckers hit a jumper to get the lead back to six before Isabelle Harrison was called for a charge.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Bank of America also trimmed its price target to $400 from $430.
    — Fred Imbert,Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • The red-hot Red Sox won their eighth straight and 10th of 11 and improved to 31-5 in their last 36 games.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Research has shown a link between free meal programs and learning, including a 2021 Brookings Institution study that found math performance improved in school districts that qualified for the National School Lunch program.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • To reveal who’s the most rested of them all, the World Economic Forum organized data from Sleep Cycle, an app used around the world that tracks how much shut-eye people are achieving.
    — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities have not said who organized a suspicious border breach in Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in North Africa.
    — Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • Later, in 2020, the Children's Trust was amended to allow the Kittrells' son to transfer the trust assets to another trust (including another trust created by the Kittrells), subject to the Kittrells' consent.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Dorsey has said the charter should be amended to give the mayor and City Council more governing flexibility.
    — Joseph Landers, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • The apartments at 64 Pratt are arranged around an atrium that soars three stories, from floor three to six.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Bike rentals and a range of experiences can be arranged, including wine tasting and artisan workshops.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • But the second, subdominant charge density wave, behaved very differently.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike most six‑figure exotics that depreciate as predictably as the setting sun, the 911 has behaved like a blue‑chip asset, giving owners confidence that their purchase rested on unusually solid financial ground.
    — Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 6 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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