variants
or straightlaced
as in puritanical
given to or marked by very conservative standards regarding personal behavior or morals
a very straitlaced old lady who believed that cleavage was something that should be shown by rock crystals, not respectable women
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of straitlaced
Ruby is a mess — chaos, really — whereas AJ is a bit more straitlaced, and there’s a stiff physicality to her.
—
Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Garrison plays Trisha, Sam’s straitlaced sister who’s undergone major growth as well.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024
Even television, though, began to feel straitlaced.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2024
Doherty, then 19, became a superstar in the early ’90s playing the straitlaced but short-tempered Brenda Walsh as the show became a guilty pleasure for a generation.
—Ethan Sacks, NBC News, 14 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for straitlaced
Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Garrison plays Trisha, Sam’s straitlaced sister who’s undergone major growth as well.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024
Even television, though, began to feel straitlaced.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2024
Doherty, then 19, became a superstar in the early ’90s playing the straitlaced but short-tempered Brenda Walsh as the show became a guilty pleasure for a generation.
—Ethan Sacks, NBC News, 14 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for straitlaced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitlaced
Adjective
-
Ed’s mother was said to be a fanatically puritanical figure who isolated him from others, convinced the rest of society was evil.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In a strange puritanical gesture, the kiss was cut.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And then there’s Carrie, who is a heightened version of her lesser traits from SATC: prudish, private and lacking in humility.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
-
But Townsend Warner’s takedown of prudish Victorian morality is only getting started.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Sherlock Holmes series adds a touch of Victorian charm with rich wood paneling, brass accents, and cozy reading nooks perfect for sleuthing through your own novels.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Aug. 2025
-
In the 2001 episode shot above Times Square, the poet Michael Stipe sits regal in a Victorian skirt and peppers Automatic for the People and Reveal songs with a rant about George Bush’s nuclear energy policy.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Soft-sided, worn and loved became important and foot-forming ultrasoft kid leather shoes changed the vibe from prim to cool.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Look to a prim and proper ladylike jacket instead.—
Cortne Bonilla,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straitlaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitlaced. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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