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
  • 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
  • The home has shaped up since then.
    — Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 4 June 2026
Definition of shaped up
Verb
  • Newsom trimmed California’s initial commitment to local newsrooms in the program’s first year from $100 million, with $55 million coming from Google, to $10 million, from the state and Google each, in response to budgetary constraints.
    — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Bernstein even trimmed it to Market Perform recently on some near-term demand caution.
    — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • The more important questions are whether customer outcomes improved, whether employees became more effective, whether the business became more adaptable and whether new value was created because of the technology.
    — Tony Bates, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • The steaks improved with each visit, but purists may want to stick to the Japanese Wagyu.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • Curator Nadine Hounkpatin, who organized the wider exhibition at Arles in which Phan’s images appear, has said that the body of work illustrates the kind of deeper truth-telling photography can do.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kyle Arrington, who is now a community activist in Maryland, spent nearly two decades with every hour of his day organized around football.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • But, citing a need for competition and consumer choice, Accra amended Next Gen Infraco’s license in March.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 17 July 2026
  • The difficulty is that Congress has repeatedly amended these rules over the last century.
    — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • Common decor items can become easily turn into visual clutter when not arranged with care.
    — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 18 July 2026
  • These icons—including symbols associated with hygiene, nature, science, sustainability, food, and culture—are arranged to form a large letter U, echoing the original corporate logo while also reflecting the company’s commitment to diversity.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • But the fanbase has been far better behaved in recent tournaments.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Consistent mentions of gentleness, clear communication and how the dog behaved afterward are strong positive signals.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 July 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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