STRAIGHTENING (UP OR OUT) Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

straightening (up or out)

verb

present participle of straighten (up or out)

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

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

The past summer in Russia has also been shaping up as a bleak season for Putin’s Russia.

— Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Now, Ring of Honor looks toward the fall in what’s shaping up to be a solid end of the year for some of its key wrestlers.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaping up

Verb

The first came on a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ko Kieft, trimming Tampa Bay’s deficit to 9-7 with just under seven minutes to play in the quarter.

— Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
This relaxed-but-polished organic cotton sweater has a classic crew neckline and ribbed trimming to elevate the look.

— Kaitlin Marks, Travel + Leisure, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of trimming

Verb

Pawloski said Amazon seemed to invest fewer resources into improving MTurk at the same time as more data labeling services arrived, causing many turkers to shift to competing platforms.

— Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
The broader shift is that AI content quality is improving while the barrier to creation is becoming lower.

— Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of improving

Verb

Encinitas began amending its municipal codes related to bike usage in June 2023 after e-bike use began soaring.

— Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
Republican lawmakers acknowledged shortcomings in their proposals to eliminate the income tax and raise the bar for amending the state Constitution.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of amending

Verb

Paltrow is also friendly with OpenAI’s vice president of global creative partnerships, Charles Porch, who the Times reports was central to arranging the dinner in his boss’ honor.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
Are practical barriers, such as transportation or arranging for care outside the facility, influencing the decision not to consider screening more than her own values or medical condition?

— Kim Johnson, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of arranging

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

straightening (up)

straightening (up or out)

straighten (out)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Straightening (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightening%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of straightening (up or out)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

illustrious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes