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
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The box office is shaping up to be not good.
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The knee injury cut short what was shaping up to be another stellar season for the six-time All-Star.
Verb
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Crews are focusing on the 15 feet along the roadsides, trimming trees that are still alive to help prevent fire from laddering into the crowns and removing dead trees.
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While some varieties will rebloom without deadheading, trimming fading flowers keeps the flower bed from looking tired.
Verb
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How airlines and airports can do better Maglione and Riccobono both said that training and implementing new technology can go a long way toward improving the flying experience for blind travelers.
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Crews successfully removed parts of the exterior wall, improving their ability to access interior fire areas and blast large volumes of water, the fire department said.
Verb
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Believe it or not, some people have made the mistake of throwing away old family photos for the sake of organizing only to wind up regretting it!
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Players are responsible for organizing tables and groups; the Senior Center cannot arrange seating or table assignments.
Verb
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Disparate impact also lives under the Fair Housing Act, a separate law the Bureau cannot rewrite by amending Regulation B.
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Michelle Ford, a soil scientist and wildlife biologist who owns EcoMaps, said Silverman over the past two months had addressed her concerns about wetlands protection by amending plans.
Verb
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Groff, who worked for Epstein for nearly two decades, was a central point-person in arranging the bookings with Amex, documents released by the Justice Department earlier this year indicated.
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The libraries that spent two years arguing that AI companies could not take their work without paying are now arranging to be paid for appearing inside the products built on top of them.
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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 28 Jun. 2026.
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