straightaway
Americanadjective
noun
adverb
adverb
noun
Etymology
Origin of straightaway
First recorded in 1870–75; from phrase straight away
Vocabulary lists containing straightaway
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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.
“Making that move on the straightaway was big because I knew it was one of our only chances to get a pass on Pato,” Palou said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026
"It's always been in my head that I didn't want to go to university straightaway," she said.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
"Some guys, like Jannik and Carlos, they're just capable of showing up to the Australian Open, playing great tennis straightaway," he said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 3, 2026
Whether we fight or submit straightaway, once we’re engulfed and pesky tensions like personal freedom or opinion are no longer available to us, many find it easier to float along instead of struggling.
From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2025
The wind howled down the straightaway with near-hurricane force, almost knocking me down.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
