straightened (up or out)

verb

past tense of straighten (up or out)
1
as in shaped up
to change one's behavior or character for the better I hope that rehab will help her straighten up for good

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trimmed
to make neat a directive for everyone to straighten up their cubicle in preparation for a visit from some corporate VIPs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for straightened (up or out)
  1. shaped up
  2. trimmed
  3. improved
  4. organized
  5. amended
  6. arranged
  7. behaved
Verb
  • Stacey Barchenger Warren Petersen and Rodney Glassman crisscrossed the state for more than a year courting Republican voters in what shaped up to be a bruising primary election race.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
  • In Texas, a heated and expensive race has shaped up between Democrat James Talarico, a state representative who is facing Republican Ken Paxton, the state attorney general.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of shaped up
Verb
  • Planners trimmed the project's scope to a height of 317 feet and 752 hotel rooms, down from the original proposal of 406 feet and 874 rooms, according to industry publication NVBEX.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
  • The Wuthering Heights actress stunned in a flowy butter yellow silk tank top, which featured micro yellow straps and was trimmed with ornate white eyelet lace along the neckline and hemline.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 July 2026
Definition of trimmed
Verb
  • Math scores in Fort Worth ISD and across Tarrant County have not improved as much as reading scores in recent years.
    — Samuel O’Neal July 31, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • Estrogen-containing therapies are linked to not only decreased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality among younger patients, but also to improved quality of life.
    — Versha Pleasant, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of improved
Verb
  • Rooms Rooms are compact (standard doubles start at 236 square feet) but thoughtfully organized, with high ceilings and warm wood details.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • Her highly functional closet, resembling a personal boutique, showcases vintage bags and is organized for efficiency, essential for the demanding Hamptons season.
    — Amanda Lauren, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of organized
Verb
  • Lofton texted that the returns needed to be amended and referred questions to Brookins.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • Lepore’s recent writing on the Constitution has reframed public discussions surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary by reminding readers that the framers expected the Constitution to be amended rather than preserved in amber.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of amended
Verb
  • The age restriction for chimpanzee tracking is 12 years (gorillas, 15 years); childcare can be arranged if needed.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026
  • The graphic novel deal between Carlton, Deviant and Blackstone was arranged by Kimberly Whalen of The Whalen Agency.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of arranged
Verb
  • Waiting for VivaTech Paris to open its doors while my MacBook quietly behaved like a private intelligence agency.
    — Edward Morris, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • In 2024 hundreds of community scientists participated in Hartstone-Rose’s research project, making note of how animals around them behaved during the solar eclipse—from pets to farm animals to wild creatures.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026
Definition of behaved
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.

Browse Nearby Words

straightened (up)
straightened (up or out)
straightening
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Straightened (up or out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straightened%20%28up%20or%20out%29. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All