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
-
Okay, let’s get into all else that went down on episode 3 of Survivor 50 in what is shaping up to be an unbelievable season so far.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026 -
The dismissal prematurely ended what was shaping up to be a strong outing for Brown, who had eight points, seven assists and two rebounds in 15 minutes.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ryan can't score after trimming more clock.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Despite being outshot through the first two periods, the Cougars hung tough before trimming the Moorhead lead to just one early in the third.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The decrease solidified an improving trend over the prior two years, which saw only slight increases.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Is there an opening for improving things?—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some have begun organizing a protest in downtown Newton this weekend.—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Continuum Suite is not that, but instead a system for organizing and coordinating many aspects of a production.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As such, Vietnam is drawing down duties on oil by amending the preferential import tax for gasoline, diesel, and gasoline production raw materials.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Those changes include amending the contract for unionized laborers to have them all under the public works umbrella, with some assigned to the street department and some to the parks department.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Authorities conducted a sting operation in September, arranging to meet her in a hotel room that Mays rented.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
All that interior volume should inspire some serious creativity in terms of arranging different floor plans.—
C.C. Weiss
March 05,
New Atlas,
5 Mar. 2026
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 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
