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
That hasn't quite shown up yet, but Mike Tomlin is going to have his defense straightened out eventually.
—
Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 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
A little under a year later, things were very different: Motown’s personnel changes straightened out, and Thomas, having apprenticed for his debut, was ready to own his big moment — a campaign for Mutt that fired on all cylinders.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for straighten out
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.
Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 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
A little under a year later, things were very different: Motown’s personnel changes straightened out, and Thomas, having apprenticed for his debut, was ready to own his big moment — a campaign for Mutt that fired on all cylinders.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 4 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 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share