go straight

Idioms

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It is not a taught bat swing. Batters go straight up and straight down - a linear path. This is more circular and wristy."

From BBC • May 7, 2026

When broaching this conversation, don’t go straight into money talk, says Matt Abrahams, a communication consultant and lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford University.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

"People waited until strikes halted to come buy supplies then go straight back home."

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

If you go straight to the boss you might violate a team norm, and turn everyone against you.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

“So go straight to bed, then,” Doc said.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023