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straightening (up or out)

verb

present participle of straighten (up or out)
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

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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)
  1. shaping up
  2. trimming
  3. improving
  4. organizing
  5. amending
  6. arranging
Verb
  • The Proposition 40 billionaire wealth tax is shaping up to be the most expensive and contentious ballot fight this year.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Milano—which kicks off on September 22, the first day of the city's fashion week—is shaping up to be the brand’s most dazzling yet.
    — Glamour, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaping up
Verb
  • In the most recent two years, the Democrat believed the county was cutting into bone rather than trimming fat.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That means inspecting flood control and drainage systems, trimming trees that could knock down power lines during high winds, and reinforcing or maintaining infrastructure such as dams, stormwater channels, roads and bridges.
    — Bethany Tietjen, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of trimming
Verb
  • Some simple ways to do this include improving your credit utilization ratio, either by paying down existing debt or increasing available credit, and reviewing your credit report for any mistakes.
    — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The organization has made great strides in improving outcomes for those diagnosed with breast cancer since its founding.
    — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of improving
Verb
  • Their brand names have some modest residual value but their original purpose—organizing content into a schedule—is entirely anachronistic today.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Stop organizing your attention by the calendar; start letting the client’s life trigger it.
    — Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of organizing
Verb
  • The city’s planning director said amending the zoning code to allow data centers in Sacramento would require multiple public hearings.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The complex legislation — added by gutting and amending a bill known as Senate Bill 492 — was introduced less than three days before the legislative session was to end Monday.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of amending
Verb
  • Their attention to detail in the studio when arranging each member’s parts was like witnessing true geniuses at work.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026
  • In a clip first shared with Entertainment Weekly, the Oscar-winning filmmaker recalls arranging an appearance on Judge Judy involving the whole Spielberg clan — a 90th birthday gift to his late mother, Leah Adler, a huge fan of Sheindlin’s.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 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)
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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 Sep. 2026.

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