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Synonyms

straighten up

British  

verb

  1. to become or cause to become erect

  2. to reform or become reformed

"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
straighten up Idioms  

  1. Make tidy, as in Let's get this room straightened up. [Second half of 1800s]

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.

By the time he’d straightened up again, Chip had joined him on the porch, either because he was curious about the letter too, or because he really did have a crush on Katherine.

From Literature

Jonathan tried to straighten up but he couldn’t lift her off the ground.

From Literature

I straightened up and pulled out my tablet.

From Literature

There were various piles around that seemed hastily straightened up.

From Literature

“We have to do something about all this,” Natalie said, straightening up.

From Literature

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.