straighten

[streyt-n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR straighten ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become straight in direction, form, position, character, conduct, condition, etc. (often followed by up or out).

Origin of straighten

First recorded in 1535–45; straight + -en¹

Related formsstraight·en·er, nouno·ver·straight·en, verbpre·straight·en, verb (used with object)re·straight·en, verbun·straight·ened, adjectivewell-straight·ened, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for straighten

rectify, uncoil, even, compose, level, align, tidy, correct, unravel, unfold, neaten, order, arrange, uncurl, unbend, untwist, unsnarl

Examples from the Web for straighten

Contemporary Examples of straighten

Instead, straighten your civic backbone and push back in clear conscience.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too
John Avlon
January 8, 2015
Morris struggled to straighten his back, which involved stiffening a spine rarely used.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’
Asawin Suebsaeng
January 7, 2015
Fitzpatrick was supposed to assess the situation in Boston and make recommendations to straighten things out.
Whitey Bulger’s Defense to Reveal Widespread FBI Complicity
T.J. English
July 30, 2013
Smith did her best, at that press conference, to straighten the whole mess out.
Whose Elephant Is It?
Winston Ross
December 9, 2012
Fox, herself a Navy veteran, tried to straighten things out—and for that, she lost her job.
Accuracy Falls by Wayside as VA Rushes to Clear Vast Backlog
Aaron Glantz
November 9, 2012

Historical Examples of straighten

You've got to get some sleep: that's the only way for you to straighten up.
The Fortune Hunter
Louis Joseph Vance
It bent him low, and it was only with a great effort that he was able to straighten again.
The Bluff of the Hawk
Anthony Gilmore
Before I could straighten him out a second and more awful idea hit him.
Arm of the Law
Harry Harrison
I had to climb into the cockpit and straighten out the mess.
The Depot Master
Joseph C. Lincoln
I'll have to run over there myself in a day or two and straighten it out.
The Rise of Roscoe Paine
Joseph C. Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for straighten

straighten

verb (sometimes foll by up or out)

to make or become straight

(tr) to make neat or tidystraighten your desk

Derived Formsstraightener, noun

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

Word Origin and History for straighten

1540s, from straight + -en (1). Related: Straightened; straightening.