as in uncurling
to cause to follow a line that is without bends or curls
straighten that extension cord—it should be just long enough to reach the wall outlet
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Recent Examples of straightening
The 60-year-old had permed her hair every six weeks for 30 years before realizing that chemically straightening her hair had become a time-consuming and self-imposed obligation.
—
Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026
Beran shed a few tears in her office before wiping her eyes with a tissue, straightening her shoulders and heading into the hallway.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 28 May 2026
The gold plates effortlessly glided through both my real hair and the clip-ins, straightening them evenly without any snags.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 24 May 2026
West of Hoover Street, the grid reorients itself, straightening into an American-style street grid.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
After unboxing 20,000 shirts, the rest of the staff paired up in different sections around the area, with one putting the shirts on the seats and the other following behind and straightening them out.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Kuhlken worked with me at home for about a month, providing basic exercises focusing on bending and straightening my knees, improving my walking and building my strength and balance.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Slowly lower your right arm overhead toward the floor while simultaneously straightening and lowering your left leg a few inches (perform the movement slowly and controlled).
—Jakob Roze, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
According to a report from Emory University, many Black Americans in the late 19th century turned to hair straightening to avoid discrimination.
—Lauren Winfrey, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 29 May 2026
Beran shed a few tears in her office before wiping her eyes with a tissue, straightening her shoulders and heading into the hallway.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 28 May 2026
The gold plates effortlessly glided through both my real hair and the clip-ins, straightening them evenly without any snags.
—Essence Wiley, InStyle, 24 May 2026
West of Hoover Street, the grid reorients itself, straightening into an American-style street grid.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
After unboxing 20,000 shirts, the rest of the staff paired up in different sections around the area, with one putting the shirts on the seats and the other following behind and straightening them out.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Kuhlken worked with me at home for about a month, providing basic exercises focusing on bending and straightening my knees, improving my walking and building my strength and balance.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Slowly lower your right arm overhead toward the floor while simultaneously straightening and lowering your left leg a few inches (perform the movement slowly and controlled).
—Jakob Roze, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
According to a report from Emory University, many Black Americans in the late 19th century turned to hair straightening to avoid discrimination.
—Lauren Winfrey, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightening
Verb
-
Without unbending her back, the mother arranges her mouth into a placid line.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Its skylight en-suite with a sauna opens out to a discreet patio with a hot tub for unwinding.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
3 June 2026
-
Suites and villas lean rustic-luxe, with dark woods, stone accents, and oversized soaking tubs perfect for unwinding after a long day of wildlife spotting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightening. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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