1
as in shaping 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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trimming
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 straightening (up or out)
Verb
-
Leans Democratic Maine is undergoing a similar gubernatorial race to the one currently shaping up in New Jersey.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025 -
The employment survey was shaping up as one of the most closely watched in years.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Management responded by trimming 2025 EPS guidance by more than 10% to $30.—
John Buckingham,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier spoke to the media on Wednesday, the day after trimming the team’s roster to 53 by the league’s deadline.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Sean Longstaff and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have joined from Newcastle and Everton respectively, while the exciting additions of midfielder Anton Stach from Hoffenheim and attacker Noah Okafor from AC Milan will provide hope of improving on a solid start.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi met China's President Xi Jinping at the 5th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, signaling improving ties.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Those with routines to follow will want to check out the slim, weekly pill organizer from Vaydeer, and the Fyy Daily Pill Organizer is also great for organizing multiple medicine shapes, sizes, and quantities without taking up too much space.—
Emily Belfiore,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Ahead of Saturday’s demonstration, counter-terrorism officers in England and Scotland raided the homes of seven spokespeople from the activist group Defend Our Juries – which has been instrumental in organizing the protests – arresting and charging them all with terrorism offenses.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After amending your soil with compost or aged manure before planting, these heavy-feeding plants need an additional side-dressing with a balanced organic fertilizer when their leafy shoots emerge in spring.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
-
As a compromise, Joyce proposed amending the proposal to include housing at least 10 years old.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Around the country, arranging for housing is a relatively new and growing challenge for such PACE groups, which are funded through Medicaid and Medicare.—
Felice J. Freyer,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
-
One study — admittedly small and enabled by the hack of affair-arranging app Ashley Madison in 2015 — found that companies whose CEOs or CFOs were paying users of the site were twice as likely to have had a financial misstatement or involvement in a securities class action.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Straightening (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightening%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share