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
  • Tuesday has shaped up quite nicely, weather-wise, across North Texas.
    — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of shaped up
Verb
  • The Lakers led Toronto 102-76 with 90 seconds left in the third quarter, but the Raptors trimmed the deficit to single digits before Doncic and Reaves led a quick 9-1 rally.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Add more oil if pot looks dry; arrange 2 large oranges and/or lemons, halved, and 2 heads of garlic, tops trimmed to expose cloves, cut side down in pot and add 3 large shallots, peeled.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • As broadcasting capabilities improved, the key didn’t have to get quite so cozy with the ignition system to effectively communicate.
    — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 29 Oct. 2026
  • After the 2016 sales tax hike, the proceeds of which went largely toward pensions, the retirement funding steadily improved.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • The group has organized several listening events, at venues from the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania to the Angel Orensanz Center, housed in a 175-year-old former synagogue in New York.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • XPeng shared footage of the test on October 23, following a drive organized by Chinese automotive platform BitAuto, also known as Yiche.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • In October 2025, Guatemala’s Congress amended several laws to designate the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs as transnational criminal and terrorist organizations.
    — Almudena Calatrava, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The original proposal included employers of all sizes, but the Board of Health amended the policy to exempt small businesses.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • The Ohio State University The team explored several Scentronic designs, including a lightweight wristband with two scent channels, a necklace with five arranged like pearls on a string, and a handheld five-channel version.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026
  • There is also concrete poetry—writing arranged in images or geometric forms—a tradition that can be traced to ancient instances of shaped poetry.
    — Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • None of them decided what was worth going after, recognized which opening justified the risk, or improvised when a target behaved in a way no playbook anticipated.
    — Jay Kaplan, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Had one of the girls behaved that way, she probably would have been removed from the game.
    — Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 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 5 Nov. 2026.

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