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
Meanwhile, Scully’s pointedly straitlaced manner proved more alluring to viewers than anyone had expected.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 29 July 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
Meanwhile, Scully’s pointedly straitlaced manner proved more alluring to viewers than anyone had expected.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for straitlaced
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straitlaced
Adjective
-
Statistics like these have become part of a discussion about whether the culture is growing prudish and puritanical.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
-
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
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
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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
-
Statistics like these have become part of a discussion about whether the culture is growing prudish and puritanical.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
-
My favorite stereotype is the one where Germans think Americans are prudish.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straitlaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitlaced. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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