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
  • The home has shaped up since then.
    — Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 4 June 2026
  • Like so many Bay Area voters, Wagner opted to hold his vote and watch how the close race for governor shaped up — particularly on the Democratic side, where a throng of candidates competed fiercely for voters and resisted the calls of party leaders to drop out.
    — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
Definition of shaped up
Verb
  • Several universities have trimmed student costs in response, but some experts doubt that will happen at significant scale.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Keep them trimmed so their branches won’t touch your house or garage.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • Advances in childbirth — including prenatal care, Cesarean sections, blood transfusions, antibiotics and neonatal intensive care — also dramatically improved maternal and infant survival compared with colonial America.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The incursions showed drone defenses in Europe need to rapidly be improved, the IISS said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • Since Calleja’s near-fatal fall, over $42,000 ($61,000 AUD) has been donated to a fundraiser organized by his football club to help cover medical expenses.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • The annual memorial, organized by Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile, took place Monday night at the Philando Castile Peace Garden, located outside the north entrance to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
    — Tyler Quattrin, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • After Emmert’s conviction, the legislature amended the state’s criminal trespassing statute to exclude floating on a river’s surface.
    — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
  • Plant the flowers in loose, well-draining potting mix amended with compost for better drainage results.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • The original design featured 13 stripes representing the colonies and 13 stars arranged in a circle to symbolize equality among them.
    — Pete Cuddihy, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • The floorplan is arranged with a clear separation between the living areas and private sleeping quarters of the home.
    — Bridget Borgobello July 03, New Atlas, 4 July 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • Easy access to credit can distort markets, and higher education has behaved like one for decades.
    — Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • What matters most is that the E3800LFP consistently behaved like a serious backup platform throughout testing.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 29 June 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 9 Jul. 2026.

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