- a variation of strait-laced.
straight-laced
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
Now, he is reportedly looking to marry the straight-laced German firm with its flashy American offshoot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
A straight-laced family man with a Catholic upbringing, Becerra was more reserved during the debates — a quiet confidence that drew some voters to support him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
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
But they’ve also tried to be funny, whereas LinkedIn is a bit more straight-laced: There is no such thing as Weird LinkedIn.
From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2023
I doubt if you understand the wickedness anyway, and I don't want you to grow up straight-laced like Harriet and Susan.
From The Butterfly House by Meylan, Paul Julian
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
