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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Opposition to the massive warehouses powering the artificial intelligence revolution is shaping up to be a major factor in the 2026 midterm elections.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026 -
Sunday is shaping up to be colder, with highs in the mid-30s and a chance of snow during the first half of the day before skies begin to clear Sunday night.—
Karl Hille,
Baltimore Sun,
15 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
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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
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They’re designed with roomy interiors and tons of compartments that make organizing your packing essentials extremely easy.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Matembe says that opposition groups had been blocked from campaigning and organizing freely and that voters had even been barred from staying behind to monitor the count after casting their ballots.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Maybe amending the Sports Broadcasting Act is part of a solution that unlocks billions in television revenue.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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The settlement will lead to NASCAR amending existing charters with new terms.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 Dec. 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 19 Jan. 2026.
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