Synonyms

straight and narrow

American

noun

the way of virtuous or proper conduct.

After his release from prison, he resolved to follow the straight and narrow.

straight and narrow British

noun

informal the proper, honest, and moral path of behaviour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of straight and narrow

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

In those days, the manager not only kept the players on the straight and narrow, but also acted as a figurehead.

From BBC

Rashford has taken a significant stride on that road to redemption - now can he use the Barcelona stage to finally put his career back on the straight and narrow?

From BBC

He’s such a good guy, and we’re both on the straight and narrow.

From Los Angeles Times

Nothing like a close call, a brush with doom, to scare you into staying on the straight and narrow.

From Salon

"I didn't keep them on the straight and narrow. They are just very sensible people with balance in their life," she says.

From BBC

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