: relating to or being music performed in an unembellished manner typical of a given idiom or performer
broadly : straightforward

Examples of straight-ahead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Those beats are equally in flux, switching between straight-ahead techno and the funky but lead-footed stomp of guaracha, adding to the disorientation. Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 Like Gauff, Steffi Graf had otherworldly straight-ahead speed. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Cost-Benefit Analysis Plus More The straight-ahead approach would be to list the potential costs of adopting AI for each of these two instances. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Maybe the walls that have kept straight-ahead comic novels from getting too close to the hallowed halls of literary fiction are starting to crumble. James Folta, Literary Hub, 24 Mar. 2026 Before that eclipse happened — and a few years before Bartell Hotels got involved —Humphreys Concerts began in 1982 as a straight-ahead jazz series booked by Rob Hagey, the founder of the San Diego Jazz Festival. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026 Spud led in points after two rounds with a repertoire that included 360-degree jams; a reverse double-pump; a straight-ahead double, and a jackknife. Kevin Sherrington feb. 10, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026 But the attention has died down as the program has settled into being a straight-ahead newscast. Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026 For entrees, the Spice steak is a straight-ahead option, steak frites (+$10), four or five medallions of tender hangar steak with a peppery-bold au poivre sauce and crisp fries. Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of straight-ahead was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Straight-ahead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straight-ahead. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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