straighten (up or out)

1
as in to improve
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straighten (up or out)
Verb
  • Supporters view McMahon as a capable executive poised to reform a department that Republicans argue has failed to improve American education.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The purpose of the economy is no longer to improve household incomes and expand the middle class, Gunter said.
    TIME, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But the president could ask Education Secretary , , to trim the department within more narrow legal confines.
    Andrew Stanton, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Some parks have already trimmed hours or offerings, and some park visitors have already reported longer waits to enter parks ahead of their busy season.
    Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • With Conan O'Brien making his Oscars hosting debut and nominees like Timothée Chalamet, Zoe Saldaña, and Cynthia Erivo vying for top honors, the 97th Academy Awards is shaping up to be a must-watch event.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Mix that with plenty of awkward moments and some ribald humor, and this is already shaping up to be yet another terrific season of one of HBO’s best shows.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Approach: Pick one routine task — like organizing emails — and let an AI or smart filter handle it for a week.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The bag’s practical design has an interior center pocket divider with a zipper closure and one interior slip pocket to organize my items while keeping them safe.
    Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The decision did not mean the end of the case, but rather put the onus back on investigators and prosecutors to bring forward new evidence to bolster their charges, or amend the indictment.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Congressman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, has already sought to amend the CZMA to strip the Coastal Commission of certain regulatory authority.
    Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • As a collective, the robots behaved like a material that could change shape and switch between solid and liquid states, just like the T-1000.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The default state of the Switch Axe is Axe Mode, which behaves a bit like a slightly faster Hammer with pretty good damage output and great mobility for a weapon of its size.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Three years later, Ade arranged a romantic trip to Italy for the couple with the intention of asking Houston to be his wife.
    Megan Pinckney Rutherford, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2025
  • And with its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, arranging, connecting and customizing elements has never been easier.
    Carly Schnurr, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • No player completed more than his 286 progressive passes in Ligue 1 last season, while only Julien Ponceau could better his 70 progressive carries from a central midfield role.
    Thom Harris, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Since at least 2023, Roche Bobois has been strategically focused on fortifying its position in the Chinese market in order to better tap into the growth potential of the world’s second-largest economy.
    Sofia Celeste, WWD, 30 Jan. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Straighten (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straighten%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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