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
  • That means treating early-career roles as a development investment with a return that’s measured in years, not as a line item to be trimmed each quarter.
    — Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Bernstein trimmed its price target on the Club name to $377 from $397 ahead of Wednesday evening's earnings.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • As broadcasting capabilities improved, the key didn’t have to get quite so cozy with the ignition system to effectively communicate.
    — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 29 Oct. 2026
  • After the 2016 sales tax hike, the proceeds of which went largely toward pensions, the retirement funding steadily improved.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • The group has organized several listening events, at venues from the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania to the Angel Orensanz Center, housed in a 175-year-old former synagogue in New York.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • XPeng shared footage of the test on October 23, following a drive organized by Chinese automotive platform BitAuto, also known as Yiche.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • In October 2025, Guatemala’s Congress amended several laws to designate the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs as transnational criminal and terrorist organizations.
    — Almudena Calatrava, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The original proposal included employers of all sizes, but the Board of Health amended the policy to exempt small businesses.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • For travelers arriving independently, the lodge's location near the park entrance is a major convenience, though transportation and activities will have to be arranged separately.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Lawyers in Russia eventually located him and arranged for legal visits, money for food and basic necessities, and the brief phone call with his son.
    — Olivia Gazis, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • None of them decided what was worth going after, recognized which opening justified the risk, or improvised when a target behaved in a way no playbook anticipated.
    — Jay Kaplan, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Had one of the girls behaved that way, she probably would have been removed from the game.
    — Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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