STRAIGHTENING (UP OR OUT) Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

straightening (up or out)

verb

present participle of straighten (up or out)

as in shaping up

to change one's behavior or character for the better I hope that rehab will help her straighten up for good

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as in trimming

to make neat a directive for everyone to straighten up their cubicle in preparation for a visit from some corporate VIPs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightening (up or out)

Verb

Capris and cropped pants are shaping up to be one of summer 2026’s biggest trends, making this stretchy cotton pair an excellent score.

— Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Her appearance is the latest in a string of royal engagements in what is shaping up to be another busy summer for the royal family.

— Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of shaping up

Verb

Conviction should not prevent an investor from trimming or exiting once the valuation has absorbed the catalyst.

— Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
While some varieties will rebloom without deadheading, trimming fading flowers keeps the flower bed from looking tired.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 June 2026

Definition of trimming

Verb

Dworak’s research finds that American adults are improving in certain forms of spatial reasoning.

— Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Thanks to the design, all three elements are evenly separated upon exiting the barrel, improving firing accuracy and substantially increasing the probability of hitting small targets, reported TASS.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026

Definition of improving

Verb

Shoppers appreciate the inner pockets for organizing small essentials, along with the top zipper that keeps everything nice and secure.

— Annie Blackman, InStyle, 3 July 2026
The cruise, which departs from Greece on July 5, was expected to dock in the Turkish port town of Kuşadası two days later, followed by a trip to Istanbul, according to Atlantis Events, which is organizing the voyage.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 3 July 2026

Definition of organizing

Verb

Recently, the Illinois Register proposed amending the administrative code to update the definitions of the various alcohol categories solely by their production process — not their alcohol content.

— Adam Hoffer, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
That’s what’s important, so just amending the contract doesn’t work for me.

— Michael Praats, Charlotte Observer, 4 July 2026

Definition of amending

Verb

All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Among DeJohn’s hobbies were flower arranging, collecting anything blue and white, gardening, and decorating.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 2 July 2026

Definition of arranging

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straightening (up)

straightening (up or out)

straighten (out)

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“Straightening (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightening%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of straightening (up or out)

verb

Example Sentences

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