- a variation of strait-laced.
straight-laced
Americanadjective
adjective
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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.
Cornyn, by contrast, is a straight-laced institutional conservative who has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002 and built deep ties with the state's donor class and Republican leadership in Washington.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
Mr. Johnson’s previous film was the slightly more straight-laced “BlackBerry,” about the rise and fall of the once-ubiquitous device.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
“It’s a bonus when I’m able to stretch myself and feel like I’m being challenged,” Poulter says of his character, the most straight-laced figure in the film, but imbued by Poulter with a surprising vulnerability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025
Here enters Ray Holt, a straight-laced traditional rule-following leader with a lot to prove.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2023
No—Dave Myler was a good sort—one of the best—but he was a bit straight-laced, and old-fashioned—especially since he had taken a wife—and after all, every man has a right to do his best for himself.
From The Borough Treasurer by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.