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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of straitlaced
The show found its humor in contrasting the more straitlaced nature of the teens with Moore’s unique and occasionally off-the-wall, free-spirited advice.
—
James Mercadante, EW.com, 6 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for straitlaced
James Mercadante, EW.com, 6 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for straitlaced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitlaced
Adjective
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Print-media outlets—at least the types of places that can still afford investigative desks—are often sclerotic, quasi-puritanical institutions that discourage their practitioners from too much self-promotion or marketing.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
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As if in refutation of the puritanical outcry over D&D in its early days, Went’s characters use the game to attempt to construct a more just moral universe.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
-
My favorite stereotype is the one where Germans think Americans are prudish.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
21 Dec. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Straitlaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitlaced. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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