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
-
Some of last year’s more contentious issues, including voucher funding and Schools of Hope charter schools, already are shaping up to resurface.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026 -
All told, this is shaping up to be a great year for Pedroia and his Hall of Fame supporters.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trailing most of the game, Dallas couldn't get a fourth-quarter stop after trimming the deficit to three points with 10 minutes remaining.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That’s in part by trimming the approval process.—
CalMatters,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Corporate use cases include employee well-being programs aimed at reducing burnout and improving focus.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Lazzarini was in Turkey for talks with officials on improving humanitarian access in Gaza.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Want more cleaning and organizing tips?—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
12 Jan. 2026
-
There is so much energy in Falk’s writing that the reader can feel tensions in the city as officials, some working secretly with the bosses, try to stop the cigar factory women from organizing, call them Communists and demean them for being Polish.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The policy change affecting Ocean Beach was characterized by city officials as amending the municipal code to simply clarify what was already allowed.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
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Others whisper about amending the 22nd Amendment.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Resist the Temptation to Dig In The hardest part of building a charcuterie board is avoiding the temptation to start snacking as soon as you’re done arranging the board.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
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As a newcomer to composing and arranging for strings, Simon benefitted greatly by working with a group readily available for consultation and collaboration.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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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 12 Jan. 2026.
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