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

2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straighten (up or out)
Verb
  • This helps improve posture and stability, according to the brand, though the sneakers have an ergonomic insole that provides arch support, too.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The report calls on leaders to focus on green solutions that can also improve health outcomes, and warns that political backsliding on climate commitments will only cause more harm.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • To prune overgrown blueberry bushes, trim half of the oldest canes down to the ground to encourage new branches to grow.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Adams’ Exit Narrows the Field After Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, much of his support appeared to transfer to Cuomo, trimming Mamdani’s lead.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Even better, 2026 is shaping up to be a fantastic time to visit one of the international Disney theme parks.
    Megan duBois, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Throw in an attempt to help part of Illinois secede and join the Hoosier state and visits from everyone from Tucker Carlson to JD Vance, and 2025 has shaped up to be quite a barn burner.
    Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bessent, who specialized in foreign exchange in a decades-long hedge fund career, organized a $20 billion foreign-exchange swap with Argentina’s central bank earlier this month — an unusual structure that bypassed the US Federal Reserve, which is typically the lead party in such arrangements.
    Daniel Flatley, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Alani organized a letter signed by more than 300 former IDS staffers asking for the IU Student Publications Alumni Board to be included in conversations about the IDS's future.
    Cate Charron, IndyStar, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Democratic State Senator Ben Allen, who sponsored the bill, and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara initially pushed for insurers to be obliged to pay out 100 percent of an owner’s personal property coverage limit, but the bill was amended after pushback from the industry.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Because four votes are needed to amend the county’s budget, Democrats currently must win over one of the panel’s two Republicans to make changes to county spending.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement In interviews, DaCosta has talked about the pleasures of telling stories in which Black women behave badly, instead of being forced to serve as virtuous role models.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Those surviving cells accumulated more genetic damage, and in some cases started behaving like cancer cells.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There, McIlroy was seen posing for photos with several of his trophies arranged on the basalt rocks, paying tribute to a season that many consider his most meaningful of all time.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Victoria Goodwin was sentenced to prison in May for arranging the plot with a Florida inmate.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And as the generative AI tech keeps bettering itself, the Presenter gets more and more convincing, daily.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
  • When to harvest before a hard freeze hits Ideally, these crops will only be allowed to be exposed to one or two light frosts to better their flavors without pushing the plants too far.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 2025.

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