straightened (up or out)

verb

past tense of straighten (up or out)
1
as in shaped 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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trimmed
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 straightened (up or out)
  1. shaped up
  2. trimmed
  3. improved
  4. organized
  5. amended
  6. arranged
  7. behaved
Verb
  • Frost, who led Nebraska to two national titles as a quarterback, likes the way his quarterback room has shaped up over the past eight months.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Stacey Barchenger Warren Petersen and Rodney Glassman crisscrossed the state for more than a year courting Republican voters in what shaped up to be a bruising primary election race.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of shaped up
Verb
  • When Cleveland trimmed the lead to 3-1 in the sixth inning, Tampa answered with a two-run homer by Junior Caminero in the seventh.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Brunet trimmed the Ducks’ lead with his first goal early in the second, connecting on a power play in the 23-year-old defenseman’s sixth NHL game.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • Holden’s ear for beats has steadily improved to fit his breakneck delivery since 2022, peaking with 2025’s Mulberry Silk Road, which was primarily laced by German producer 2000 Souls and executive-produced by Marciano.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In the best-case scenario, those flaws can be worked through and improved upon as the Leafs settle in and get used to new systems and new teammates.
    — James Mirtle, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • The event was part of LA Tech Week, a citywide event organized by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • First, is the human superior colliculus organized the way animal studies suggest, with vision concentrated in its upper layers and touch in its deeper layers?
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • Questions remain Miami Gardens amended its public-participation policy in February 2026, after Jackson filed her lawsuit.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That order was amended in 2011 so that Moss only had to see a psychiatrist quarterly.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • Detours and shortcuts in the brain The cells and synapses of the brain aren’t arranged in rigid, linear paths for each task and experience.
    — Sean Mccabe, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Desperate for actual contact with Holmes, Fielder has arranged to meet her briefly at the prison before Evans shows up.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • The vegetables’ changing moisture, texture and shape also meant no two instruments behaved exactly alike.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The company has since disclosed several additional incidents where its models behaved in unintended ways, prompting industry researchers and government officials to call for additional oversight.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of behaved
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

straightened (up)
straightened (up or out)
straightening
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Cite this Entry

“Straightened (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightened%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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