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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
-
Shiite Iran feared the regional ascendance of Sunni radicalism in the form of the puritanical Taliban, an ambitious al-Qaeda, and other militant factions, as well as further instability on its eastern border—Iran was then, and remains now, home to many Afghan refugees.—
Vali Nasr,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
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Indeed, one of the reasons some men left the League was their perception that the institution treated women too preciously and that the school administration labored to cultivate a puritanical atmosphere in a place that was by nature loose and raucous.—
Anne Halsey,
JSTOR Daily,
6 Aug. 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
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But Townsend Warner’s takedown of prudish Victorian morality is only getting started.—
B. Pietras
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
This West Indian island, claimed by the British Crown in 1624, echoes its historic past through Victorian architecture faced in coral stone.—
Kathleen Turner,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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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
Adjective
-
Men were letting their hair grow past their shoulders, women were tying theirs in bandannas, and amid the weed and the cobblestones, the prim full skirts of the 1950s were laughably old hat.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
9 Aug. 2025
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Ballet flats and a straw tote add a prim touch for a balanced finish.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Straitlaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straitlaced. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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