go straight

Idioms  

1. Become a law-abiding person; abandon crime. For example, Once he got out on probation, he swore he would go straight. The use of straight in the sense of “honest” dates from the 1500s and probably alludes to the opposite of crooked, used in the sense of “dishonest” from the 13th century on.

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Example Sentences

You’ll probably go straight from “Lorne” to rewatching notorious moments like the controversial Season 3 “stunt baby” sketch — and this is no doubt Michaels’ preferred outcome.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

“If you adjust your W-4 so your paycheck more closely matches what you actually owe, you increase your monthly cash flow immediately. That extra few hundred dollars can go straight into savings or investing.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

Despite a "lot of pressure" from teachers to go straight to university, the pair said they did not regret working multiple jobs in their year off to finance a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The foreign minister said that if negotiations were to resume, she didn't want to waste any time and wanted to go straight to the difficult chapters.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

He returned to Boston in the summer of 1991 to receive his MacArthur “genius” grant, which brightened his mood because he had a good use for the $220,000 tax-free award—it would go straight to PIH.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French