straightening (up or out)

verb

present participle of straighten (up or out)
1
as in shaping 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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trimming
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 straightening (up or out)
  1. shaping up
  2. trimming
  3. improving
  4. organizing
  5. amending
  6. arranging
Verb
  • But a gold rush is shaping up to profit from new workarounds to the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 July 2026
  • Friday’s Bank of Japan decision is shaping up to be the most consequential moment of Governor Kazuo Ueda’s tenure — and a defining fork in the economic path.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of shaping up
Verb
  • Stand remaining split ladyfingers around sides of pan, trimming to fit, if necessary.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2026
  • Do provide needed trimming to reduce the height and width of coleus as needed.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026
Definition of trimming
Verb
  • People making folk music around the world have a nonprofit based in Kansas City to thank for improving their odds of scoring a Grammy Award next year.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • Instead, every renovation must navigate a delicate balance between improving the fan experience and preserving the architectural integrity of one of the nation's few National Historic Landmarks dedicated to sports.
    — Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of improving
Verb
  • The director of the 2028 iteration of the Aichi Triennale, one of the largest international art festivals in Japan, will be Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, the event’s organizing committee announced on Friday.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 24 July 2026
  • In April, Ukraine imposed sanctions on five Russian cultural figures involved in organizing the country’s contribution.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of organizing
Verb
  • Democrats and Republican leaders both surveyed members last week on the college sports plan, which indicated an uncertain whip count on the floor and work still to do on amending the plan, according to senators and aides.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 20 July 2026
  • Congress reacted to that ruling by amending the act to create the incidental take program.
    — Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of amending
Verb
  • In an Instagram Story shared on her official page, the Duchess of Sussex could be seen slicing strawberries into heart shapes and arranging them on a red swirl bagel with a pink spread.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • Hamilton devoted herself to making sense of the stories, arranging them in some kind of order and sequence, ironing out contradictions.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
Definition of arranging
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

straightening (up)
straightening (up or out)
straighten (out)
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Cite this Entry

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

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