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
  • Amazon trimmed jobs in its artificial intelligence group, CNBC confirmed on Wednesday.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 22 July 2026
  • Single bamboo stakes, wooden tomato sticks, or even trimmed tree branches all work well (as do single metal posts).
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • Things slowly improved as drummers were encouraged at Arrowhead, but even a big turnout of 20,000 fans looked tiny in a stadium that could seat four times that number.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • Lathan is one of four returning starters for Kansas and there’s optimism the defense will be improved.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • The shear has already displaced most of Bertha’s thunderstorms to the south of its center, preventing the storm from becoming better organized.
    — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • That belief has organized how families, schools and talent programs operate for nearly a century.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 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
  • This pasta behaved just like the regular stuff, just as tasty on its own as it was coated in tomato sauce.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 July 2026
  • First, the team analyzed how the signal behaved across Titan's disk.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 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 24 Jul. 2026.

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