Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightening (up)
Verb
-
Black people account for 53% of the unhoused population, despite making up less than one-third of the city’s total population.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026 -
Barnes noted that the team's computer simulations were limited by the number and sizes of the particles making up the clouds of pebbles that went on to form planetesimals.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ryan was heavily involved with drawing up trick plays for former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and is lauded for his creativity.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Certain assistants are also tasked with drawing up each opponents’ plays as part of weekly preparation.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Those tongues are basically built-in grooming kits.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Don’t worry about grooming your greenery to perfection; a more natural look is trending this year.—
Kelley Bruss,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 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).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightening%20%28up%29. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
