straighten out
phrasal verb
straightened out; straightening out; straightens out
1
: to make (something) straight or to become straight
You need to straighten out your legs for this stretch.
The river curves and then straightens out again.
2
: to make (something) organized or tidy : to put (something) in order
He took time to straighten out the papers on his desk.
3
: to deal with (something) successfully
I need more time to straighten out my problems.
4
: to improve in behavior or condition or to cause (someone or something) to improve in behavior or condition
He straightened out after joining the army.
The problem will not straighten out on its own.
You need to straighten your life out.
Her parents sent her to boarding school to straighten her out.
Examples of straighten out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Shanahan said that was a situation Warner likely would have straightened out before the snap.
—
Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
It got straightened out pretty quick, but the intention was 'thumbs up,' and basically pointing at our fans because everybody was jumping up and down excited.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Initially, the plan was to study whether the land could be used to improve rail transit in the area and to straighten out the curve in I-25 through that area, which consistently contributes to congestion.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
But Prat quickly had Brant straightened out and in the lead.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten out
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Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
It got straightened out pretty quick, but the intention was 'thumbs up,' and basically pointing at our fans because everybody was jumping up and down excited.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Initially, the plan was to study whether the land could be used to improve rail transit in the area and to straighten out the curve in I-25 through that area, which consistently contributes to congestion.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
But Prat quickly had Brant straightened out and in the lead.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten out
Cite this Entry
“Straighten out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straighten%20out. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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