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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
  • The set includes two stoppers that measure 2 inches tall by 39 inches wide, which can be trimmed to fit under most standard-sized doors.
    — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Homeowners associations are known for rules about paint colors, fences and keeping the lawn trimmed.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • While the ceasefire halted the heaviest fighting and humanitarian conditions have improved, the Israeli military has expanded its control of Gaza and now occupies some 60% of the territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Haddow, a senior fellow on public policy with the association, said he's heard numerous people tell lawmakers over the years how kratom has improved their lives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • But up- and downriver outside the park, much of the land is owned by private landowners, many of whom have organized against the government’s efforts.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The show is overseen by MAM artistic director Shai Baitel, who has also organized exhibitions of Marina Abramović, Bob Dylan, Zaha Hadid, and David Hockney.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • The bill was amended in May to require that 85% of the funding go to jobs with union-level wages and benefits.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The congress has repeatedly amended the constitution to concentrate power in Ortega’s hands and eliminate any shred of democratic independence and dissent.
    — Sergio R. Bustos, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • In 1939, she was banned from performing in Washington’s Constitution Hall because of her race, and her manager, with help from Eleanor Roosevelt, arranged a performance in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday.
    — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Lehrer arranged a meeting to sell him the files—then never showed up.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • After a team member behaved in a way that contradicted everything an organization claimed to value.
    — Farida Abjani, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Recent incidents involving models that bypassed safeguards or behaved deceptively have added urgency to the safety debate.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 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 26 Sep. 2026.

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